Exseed
by cuttingmoon57
Summary: Following the separation of the old world, Bartleby planted a seed imbued with the last of his power. Three friends stumble upon the ancient legend a millennium later and with it become involved in the grandest journey of their lives.
1. Rebirthday

Greetings all. This is Cuttingmoon57, back with yet another idea (despite not having finished his other stories). When inspiration hits you, there's not much you can do except let the fingers flow.

Anyway, I've been mulling over this story for a while now, pretty much since my girlfriend got me into Wizard101. That said, I hope many of you enjoy this first installment.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

**(Blah)**= scene change

* * *

Shuffling of slipper covered feet, the timed pounding of ornate wooden staff against the ground, and the occasional labored breath all echoed throughout the narrow confines of the dimly lit hallway. The only other provided sound came from the crackling fire of lamps spaced evenly on both walls. Light from their flames gave illumination not only to the thousands of roots, large and small, growing from every crack and crevice, but also light enough for the path's sole traveler to see clearly.

His deep purple robes, adorned throughout with astral symbols and lined with red and gold, swept across the ground behind him with every step. His pace remained even throughout his voyage through the maze-like pathways, though it was clear from the look in his eye that this was no leisurely walk.

Merle Ambrose had no time for games at this moment, or at all lately.

It was within minutes that he arrived at his destination and stepped out from the shadowed hallways into a massive circular room of pure beauty. Hundreds of leaves, each as luminous as an emerald, slowly descended from the top of the arching ceiling like snowflakes. Similar to the hallways, roots covered the walls, this time so large that they could be mistaken for tree trunks. Aligned at the center of the room on a pedestal lay a white crystalline seed, easily six feet in length, its core glowing a subdue beige color. Four evenly spaced columns decorated with runic symbols of a lost age rose from the floor around it and ascended to the higher reaches.

Ambrose stepped forward slowly and stopped a few feet shy, regarding the seed with absolute wonderment. The heat emanating from was warm, strangely comforting, and the old wizard couldn't help but close his eyes and bask in its warmth if not but a moment.

"It is time?"

The elderly man didn't turn around at the sound of the voice. In truth, he had known she was there all along, though not of the hand of magic.

He had asked her to come.

"Indeed." His voice seemed melancholy, whether or not that was his intention. "Are you sure of this?"

"No other is of suitable strength." The subtle fear in her response was obvious to the purple clad wizard, though he wisely said nothing. Her eyes shifted upwards, pupils focusing solely on the crystal seed at the center of the room. She seemed to be almost entranced by its light, and by simply looking at it, Ambrose noticed the doubt in her voice vanish. "I would have none other regardless. It will be my burden to bear, and mine alone."

**From Cuttingmoon57, A tale of magical proportions**

The wizard stroked his snow white beard with a downcast sigh, then spoke.

"Finally, after a millennium of turmoil and isolation, the prophecy has come full-circle. Here is the Spiral's hope." He stepped even closer to the crystal; his eye only inches away, peering into its depths.

"Here is the Exseed."

* * *

**EXSEED**

**First Pip: Rebirthday**

* * *

_Year One, Neo Pangaian Calendar _

_The world, slowly but surely torn asunder under the force of the warring titans, ceased to exist as we know it. Its remains scattered across the great void, held loosely together only by power of the Grandfather Tree. His strength spent, the great oak planted a single seed before drifting into a deep slumber-_

A boisterous fist pounded against Victoria Flaresong's dorm room door, and her head instantly shot up as she closed the freshly bought copy of her Legends of the Spiral textbook. The blonde haired, brown eyed girl stood to her feet, smoothed out her light blue pajama pants and matching shirt, and muttered under her breath from the continued beating of her door.

_Novice Wizard: Victoria Flaresong_

"What!" The door swung open, and she yelled in protest.

"It's about time you answered the door. It's not very professional to leave people waiting like that."

There stood an adolescent boy, a displeased scowl on his face and his hands crossed across his chest. His robes and pointed hat held a deep purple quality with white trimmings and lightning shaped designs embroidered across them. A cape lay draped over his shoulders and stopped just a few inches from the ground. Tuffs of brown hair could be seen coming out from under the hat, providing a good neutral tone to contrast his vivid purple eyes.

_Initiate Diviner: Ty Stormwhisper_

The blonde stood frozen for a few moments, and her eyebrow twitched slightly. Apparently he had forgotten the numerous times he had not only been late, but outright ditched her. She calmed herself silently. It wouldn't improve the situation to try and reason with him. The girl moved back into her room, her house slippers gently scraping against the old, wooden floorboards.

"If you're going to disturb me this early in the morning, make the first thing you say important." She muttered, intentionally loud enough for him to hear. "Also, have a good reason."

"I do have a good reason." Victoria turned, raising a hopeful eyebrow at him. "I was bored."

"That's not a good reason!"

"No, but making sure you're not late to class is." He gestured with his eyes to the clock on the far wall, and her light chocolate eyes widened ever so slightly. "Wouldn't want to be late, especially for a Cyrus Drake class. I'd get dressed fast."

She scurried over the small distance between her and the room's entrance, grabbed the handle, and slammed the door right in his face, an action which caused him to slightly flinch. He could hear the sound of fabric flying, dresser drawers opening and closing, and the occasional grunt of pain whenever she tripped over or stepped on a floor bound object.

"Need any help in there?"

"Turn that handle and I'll wring your neck."

"Noted."

….

Victoria peered around the corner into the classroom, cheering mentally as she spied the time of the clock on the northern wall. She victoriously strolled into the crimson colored room, a bright smile on her face though otherwise trying not to draw too much attention to herself. Not to difficult a task; most of the assemble students conversed quietly amongst themselves or finished up any last minute reading.

She took to a desk near the far back right side, where a cluster of worn empty desks stood, and placed the messenger bag slung over her shoulder onto the ground. Feeling she had enough time before class, she retrieved a tattered, maroon hued book and flipped through the first few pages, then acquired a quill pen from a side pocket.

_Hey, Grandpa_

_It's been about a month now since I started classes at Ravenwood. Things have been going pretty well. Haven't made too many new friends yet, but Ty has been keeping me company since we started. I know that you would prefer I not become a wizard, but I…I really believe that I can accomplish something great here._

"Alright, that's quite enough of your babble, children."

Following the voice, Victoria looked up and was greeted by the sight of one rather ornery professor, Cyrus Drake. He entered with an air of superiority about him, absently rubbing his temples with his free hand as if he was bothered by the students' mere presence. Sometimes, she honestly wondered. As he set down the books he carried, she put away her own, stuffing it deep into her bag and retrieving the class textbook and a few pieces of note paper, as did many other students in front of her.

_Professor of Myth Studies and Head of History Department: Cyrus Drake_

"Now, as we begin class today, I hope every one of you took the time to read chapter three and four last night." He began walking forward down the middle of the desks, absently fiddling with his wand. Victoria's eyes wandered to the blackboard, where a piece of chalk, seemingly floating on its own, scribbled a series of words on the board. "Today's lectures will pick up from where four left off, but first, I am generous enough today to entertain questions about the reading." A few moments of silence passed, and one hand from the desk just ahead of Victoria, rose into the air. "What do you have to say?"

A tan skinned teenage boy stood from the chair, spiky black hair a mess on his head. His robes were the same as every apprentice level wizard currently in the class, plain with the only variations being their primary colors. His held a deep blue hue, with simple yellow trimmings. The strangest thing about him though, was image of an elaborate eye plastered on his forehead. From what Victoria had seen of it every so often, she assumed it was a tattoo of sorts, though she had never held the interest to actually confront him about it.

_Novice Wizard: Tala Mythhammer_

"In chapter three, the text says something about some sort of seed, but doesn't explain its purpose. Could you please explain?"

Cyrus gave him a wary eye and a condescending look, an action he was quite well versed in. "Very well; I will entertain your request. The legends speak that just before the Grandfather Tree drifted off into the Great Slumber, he planted a seed. Information remains scarce as to what exactly was inside the seed, or to its actual purpose. Rumors abound, and scholars have found little evidence as to the validity of the tale, as there is no written record of Bartleby's words." He moved back up the row to stand at the forefront of the classroom. "It is a myth for sure, though not all myths are necessarily untrue. Until evidence surfaces, take the account as you will."

Quill pens scribbled furiously as the bald instructor finished his explanation and turned towards the board, where the floating chalk had just finished writing the last of the outline. Cyrus continued speaking, and pointed towards a line near the bottom.

"Concerning this, I will have each of you write a one page paper on any aspect of the origins of the Spiral. You are free to choose the paper's focus; I care not. It will be due next class period." A menagerie of groans and disappointed grunts followed, and Victoria could have almost sworn she saw the professor smiling. "Now, for today's material…"

…

Ty Stormwhisper awkwardly drummed his fingers along the surface of the table while resting his head right along next to them. A sigh would escape his throat every few moments or so, the only noticeable sound in the expansive west wing of the Ravenwood Library. With each and every exhale, Victoria Flaresong, who sat to his left, would focus more and more on her reading, and Tala Mythhammer, who sat across from the two, could only peer above his own book and silently chuckle as she grew angrier.

"My only day off this week, and wouldn't you know I'd still be in a library."

"_You_ asked to come with _us_." Victoria's voice was hushed as she flipped a page over, though its steel was enough to pierce human flesh.

"I thought we were going somewhere more exciting."

"We told you where we were going…twice." She breathed deeply, and stared forward at her newly met, more levelheaded acquaintance. "Forgive him. He's the worst kind of person."

"Don't worry about it." Tala chuckled with a smile, closing his current book and picking up a new tome. "So have you found anything good yet?"

"Not really." She admitted. "I found a few books on the Dragon's perspective on the Great War, but I was honestly hoping to do something a bit more involving."

"Me too." The black haired boy skimmed through pages. "That whole seed of Bartleby discussion at the beginning of class was kind of interesting, though. That's definitely something I'd like to do a project on, but none of the books here have any information on it. Plus, he's been asleep for a thousand years. It's not like we could wake him up and ask him."

"Yeah." Victoria let out a sigh of her own, slumping forward on the table. "It's probably just some random myth anyway."

"Oh I assure you. It's very real."

The three assembled students all looked up as a strange figure stood next to Tala's chair. He was draped in solid black: the hood covering his head, the long coat that stopped around his ankles, loose fitting pants, and leather boots. The only semblance of color was the paleness of his face and jet black hair that shielded lifeless, ashen eyes. More than simply just his appearance was the complete silence with which he approached him. It was as if he simply appeared.

"How can you be sure?" Tala was the first to respond after the awkward period of silence.

"See for yourself." He removed his hands from his pockets, pulling out a small folded piece of paper. As it touched down on the table, the note magically began to unfold itself into a map, and the three students stared in wonder at it. Upon it was the center of the expansive Ravenwood campus, a map of the area around the Great Tree. "Here. This is where you will find your answers." His pale finger landed on the spot opposite the side of Bartleby's slumbering face. "Behind the fauna at this point, there is a secret passage built into his wood."

"How do you know all of this? And why are you giving this to us?"Victoria queried, her tone skeptical. At this, the boy began to walk away, inviting confused looks, and then whispered over his shoulder in a friendly tone.

"A simple gesture of kindness. Do with it what you will."

The trio watched his retreating form move towards the door to the main foyer, and for the first time noticed the large, white elaborate skull imprinted across the back of his jacket. As he exited eyeshot, Ty lifted his head from the table for the first time, an adventurous look in his eyes.

"I say we go for it."

"Are you crazy?" Victoria asked in surprise. "First of all, we have no idea who that was. Second, even if this _secret passage_ does exist, who's to say that seed is even at the end of it? What if it's some restricted area or something worse? We could seriously get in trouble."

"Oh, Victoria. You think way too much about these things. Where's your sense of adventure?"

She crossed her arms, and looked at him straight-faced. "In the realm of sanity. Where's yours?"

"Insanity, but we digress." Ty turned to Tala with a smirk. "How about you? You in?"

"There's no way he's going to, Ty." The blonde girl interjected. "Unlike you, Tala actually has some sense to…"

"Sure, I'm in."

Victoria paused.

"Excuse me?"

"I said I'm in." He repeated with a smile. "I mean, we won't know for sure unless we at least check it out. And besides, we're going to be full-fledged wizards soon. We're going to be doing this kind of stuff for a living, so might as well get used to it now while it's only slightly dangerous."

"That's the spirit, Tala." Ty held a mischievous grin as he turned back to his childhood friend. "So, Victoria...looks like you and your _reason_ are the minority here. Still sure you don't want to go?"

Her eyes shifted back and forth between the two boys until finally, against her better judgment, she caved in and expelled a defeated sigh.

"Fine. I'll go."

"Alright, good." The Diviner scooted closer to the table, and the other two leaned in to hear his whispering. "So, here's what we'll do…"

….

It was the dead of midnight as Victoria leaned her back against one of the few street lamps, the only sources of light in the blanket of darkness that overcame the Ravenwood Academy Park. The muffled cries of owls and chirping of crickets nearby did little to soothe her fears, even though she knew barely anyone traveled outside the dorms this late.

After taking a few seconds to check around for any sign of life, she allowed herself a few seconds to stare up at the twinkling of the stars and the grand white crescent that was the moon, not to mention a moment to question why she had even bothered to come. Instead of coming all the way out here to search for some myth, she could be resting peacefully in her bed right now or at the very least finishing up that paper due the following morning.

"Good to see you actually showed up."

The blonde was torn from musings of more peaceful machinations by the approach of Ty and Tala stepping into the lit range of the street lamp. Both, just like her, adopted the darkest clothing they could find, which mostly consisted of black or gray pants, shirts, and gloves for each of them. Both boys stopped just in front of her, and she leaned off the lamp, responding.

"Well I did say I was in, no matter how idiotic this idea is. Let's just get this over with."

The two simply nodded in response, and Ty motioned for them to follow him. The trio began making their way towards the middle of the park, maneuvering around bushes and trees while keeping watch for any night patrolmen that just so happened to pass by. Finally, after a few minutes, they reached their destination.

The Grandfather Tree Bartleby was gargantuan to say the least; by Victoria's guess at least five hundred yards in diameter at just the base. His branch spread out in all directions, like hundreds of thousands of snake like tendrils, creating a shaded canopy over the entire Ravenwood campus and even part of the Commons during the daylight hours. Even after a month of attendance, it still amazed both her and Tala every time they laid eyes on him this close up, which was often considering his location at the very center of the campus.

It took the small group more time to traverse around to the massive oak's backside than it did to arrive at the meeting spot. Within a twelve minute walk, Ty gave them a hand motion to stop, and looked at the wall of bark to his left.

"The map that guy gave us says this is the place. Let's see if we can find anything." The three hopped the railing surrounding the tree and inched closer to receive a better look, now becoming more fearful that this may have been some sort of setup. Hands wandered over the bark's surface, and Tala took the liberty to check the grass and surrounding bushes for any unordinary markings or occurrences. It would be another ten minutes of this fruitless search before all three of the adolescents sat in the grass, mostly disheartened.

"This was definitely the point the mark said." Ty remarked. "Maybe it can only appear with some magic words or something."

"Or maybe it wasn't here to begin with." Victoria argued, standing to her feet. "Like I warned you, we had no idea who that guy was. Seems now like he was just playing some sort of prank on us. I hope you two have learned a lesson in blindly tru-"

The girl's sentence was abruptly cut off by a flash of light from the tree's surface, instantly catching everyone's attention. The three watched in shock as a runic symbol began to engrave itself in the bark, as if some invisible force was carving it, and the same bright light as the flash gave a glow to the etched markings. As it finished the fourth and last mysterious symbol, another flash erupted from all, temporarily blinding the assembled wizards.

As the three looked on after the flash, Ty and Tala gave their widest grin, and Victoria could only stand there in some strange mixture of both amazement and pure annoyance. Her words mimicked those sentiments.

"You've…you have _got_ to be kidding me."

The two boys high fived enthusiastically, and the elder spoke. "I stopped listening halfway through, but whatever you just said, Victoria, it seems to have been the password we needed." They shot up from their seat on the grass and began to peer into the eerie darkness of the newly revealed tunnel before Ty stepped in, Tala following moments later.

Lastly, as Victoria shrugged and entered behind them, none had noticed the ethereal howl emanating from one of the lower branches thirty feet above them, nor the glowing eyes barely visible through the foliage.

…

"Ok, so he wasn't lying…there was a path."

"Mmhmm."

"A path right where he said there would be."

"That's right."

"But I'm not about to admit you were right about this one, Ty. We still don't know where this leads or why he would send us here."

"Very well, Victoria." Ty began, speaking over his shoulder to his following companions. A torch he had grabbed from a sconce near the entrance provided enough light for them to accurately navigate the many hallways, all the while giving them a sliver of heat in the otherwise near frigid tunnel. "Like he said…we'll just have to see ourselves, now won't we?"

"So which way do we go from here?" Tala consulted as the group stopped at a four way crossroad. He and Victoria stepped out from behind Ty and planted their feet on either side. The Diviner raised torch to shed some light on the dark corridors. To the left and north seemed normal enough, merely a copy of the paths they had already trekked the past few minutes. The right, however, proved another story. As he shined the torches light upon it, numerous tendril like roots covered the floor, ceiling, and walls, leaving almost no uncovered area. Furthermore, numerous eerie sounds seemed to radiate from it.

"Let's try the le-"

"C'mon guys. This way." Victoria stared dumbfounded as she watched Ty and her classmate head straight for the clearly more dangerous route with fearless indifference. She stopped herself from uttering a word of protest. Ty wasn't the type to heed warnings of any sort.

She soon caught up with the other two, and as a party, they drew deeper into the root filled passageway by the minute, taking turns and downward staircases whenever they presented themselves. Every so often along their journey, they would hear a sickening crawling noise along the walls, but a proper positioning of the torch would reveal only insects scurrying on the roots. Of course, these revelations did nothing to alleviate the growing fear amongst them.

"What this down here." Ty wondered aloud, leading the other two along with him. All laid eyes on the bright light at the end of their current tunnel, a source of hope for the weary travelers despite its usual implications. With haste they crossed the hallway's final expanse, occasionally stumbling over unseen roots, before reaching its end and a much larger room's beginning.

Victoria's mouth could only gape open at the astonishing beauty of the space around her. It was a room like none she'd ever seen. Large roots, as thick as columns, snaked their way up white washed walls, ending at the highest point of the domed ceiling above them. Obscuring that highest point, though, was a canopy of the greenest leaves, glowing with a strange mystical energy. These leaves, a few at a time, would float down like snow, and upon touching the ground would disintegrate into small sparkles of energy. The three stepped out into the room on what seemed to be a fresh carpet of actual grass, a surprising change from the stone floors of the hallways.

"This is…unreal." The girl whispered out, then made a gesture to the center of the room. A large crystalline seed sat upon a rounded pedestal, anchored firmly in the ground. It glowed with energy not unlike the leaves, but of a tan hue and a sense of warmth and comfort the cool foliage could not muster. The sole female of the group approached the gemstone, placing a delicate hand and peering inside while the two boys continued to look around.

"I…I think we found it, you two." Tala proclaimed, sending a positive glance to each. "This definitely has to be that seed the legends were talking about."

"I…guess so. I was expecting something less…shiny though." Ty remarked. "And maybe a little more challenge to get here."

The Diviner began to scan the room for any other sign of life, eyes eventually wandering up towards the upper reaches of the room. His purple orbs ended up following a particularly odd root on the wall ahead of him. It seemed a lot thinner than the others, not to mention less aged. As followed it and the wood connecting it, he noticed that it began to take a certain shape. Two long, gnarled legs ascended into a thin torso, which sprouted out four branches, two on each side and the top much longer than the bottom. Lastly came the head, complete with hollow eyes sockets, two pointed horns, and a beard made of common moss. The figure stood at a massive thirty feet tall, but what perturbed Ty the most was that for one split second…

He saw its head turn.

"Umm…guys."

They both looked at him with raised eyebrows, and in return he pointed towards the wall. As they did, a cracking noise, like the sound of snapping wood, sounded out from the one of the legs. Another came from the arms, then the torso; each causing the assembled group to take back steps in fear. Then suddenly, an unearthly scream came from its mouth. The wooden beast broke free from its bindings on the wall, shattering some of its own bark simply to attain freedom. The humans could only stand frozen in fear as it directed its hollow eyes at their position, and within the few following moments of silence, Victoria gave him another exasperated stare.

"You just had to complain, didn't you?"

It charged, staggering slightly, and as it reached them raised one of its long legs above their heads. The three scattered in separate directions as Ty gave the order to move. The foot came down, implanting in the carpet of grass and otherwise cracking the ground around it. Without losing any time the monstrous treant spotted Victoria, who had managed to avoid the stomp by diving onto the crystal seed pedestal. Its powerful steps shook the ground and with each one the girl retreated closer to the seed until her back lay right up against its crystal form.

"Victoria, get out of there! We have to escape." Ty screamed across the room. "_My spells wouldn't be enough to dent a guy of this caliber,_ _and the other two haven't even learned how to cast yet_."

"I've got her." The Diviner turned to see Tala rushing towards the creature, lowering his center to better streamline his run. He began to protest at the action until he noticed the boy's sleeves had been rolled up to his elbows. A complicated web of tattoo's now covered his arms from the wrist up, and worked their way to his face where they finally connected with eye shaped tattoo on his forehead.

The treant leaned down and brought its arm back in preparation to sweep out at Victoria. It swung forward, and just as it reached her, she fell flat on the ground. The gnarled hand passed just over her, managing to slash at the ends of her blonde hair that were still airborne. At that moment, Tala arrived in low and picked the girl up in his arms with relative ease, turning on a dime and heading in a direction opposite the beast. Upon reaching a safe distance, his steps became weaker and he stumbled over, dropping Victoria and colliding with the ground.

Ty looked at the situation in both relief and confusion. Those strange tattoos now covering the boy's skin were definitely not there when he had met him earlier in the day. He resolved to inquire at a later date, for there were more pressing matters to attend to.

Before that, however, something in the center of the room managed to catch his eye. The once unblemished crystalline seed had now obtained three deep gashes from the treant's sweep. Even more, light poured out like spurting water and it seemed to capture not only his attention, but that of the bark covered monster as well. Cracks continued to appear on the crystal, and with each new one the potency of the light increased.

The crystal shattered into hundreds of fragments and a shockwave of light and energy burst forth in every direction, so bright that all present could do none but shield their eyes. The treant let out a forceful howl, and just as the flash appeared, it retracted, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.

Victoria was the first to look up, and her eyes were fully and wholly captivated.

From what she could see, he was a few inches taller than herself, about the same height as Ty. Spiky, snow white hair waved in the slight breeze left about from the explosion. A soft beige glow covered his unblemished, tan skin as well as the remainder of his body. That same light emanated from his pupil-less eyes; eyes which turned from her form to the treant.

Then, in an action which confused the three Ravenwood students, that same beast descended to a knee, and bowed its head in reverence.

The mysterious glowing boy turned back to Victoria and began taking slow steps towards her. The once serene glow around his form began to flare into a raging aura with each second. Panicking, she looked at Tala, who for some odd reason was beginning to convulse in pain behind her. The boy continued drawing closer, his face still completely expressionless, and in a mixture of fear and defiance, the blonde stood to her feet. Her arms spread out in either direction, and her feet planted themselves between the approaching entity and Tala.

"Victoria, you idiot! Run!" Ty yelled out, jumping up himself and dashing over.

The glowing boy stopped directly in front of Victoria, so close she could feel his breath on her face. She stared into his blank eyes and a single tear began to stream from each of her own. Steeling herself, the blonde spoke in a low, threatening whisper.

"Don't you touch my friend."

Silence pervaded the area for three seconds, and suddenly the boy's legs buckled, his body slumping forward onto her. In response, she wrapped her arms around his torso, preventing him from slipping to the ground. The powerful aura surrounding him instantly dispersed, the glow even fading away as she slowly knelt to the ground. In its place, a series of peaceful snores sounded from his throat, and his once pure ivory hair morphed into a solid black hue.

Ty arrived moments later and assessed the situation. Tala's spasms seemed to be calming down, the tattoo's fading back into his skin. Victoria held the mysterious, naked, white haired teen in her arms, staring up at the storm wizard with a concerned look.

Not a single one of them had fully understood what just transpired, but without even saying a word, all three had inwardly come to the same conclusion.

"_We are going to be in so much trouble_."

**A mysterious boy emerges from the fabled seed.**

* * *

**(Author's Notes)**

And there's the first chapter. Hopefully it was somewhat entertaining. Chances are by the time this is posted, chapter two will be about halfway done. I'll post it sometime within the following week.

Alright a few things to note, just to clear up any confusion and eliminate future misunderstandings.

First. This thing will update sporadically, and I mean very sporadically. This being that I have a current story I'm already devoted to (Forty-five chapters in!) and plan to complete it. To be honest, this chapter wasn't even supposed to be done until March, but for some reason I felt a surge of inspiration. Anyway, I'll update when I can, but I'm not making promises.

Second. As you can probably tell already, some things will not work like the game. Bear this in mind, and I'll do my best to give decent explanations.

Third. Unfortunately I won't be taking on any OC's. Nothing against anyone; there's just no room for any. If anything, I would change a submitted one so much that it would've been easier to just make my own character.

Fourth and last. If something doesn't make sense in this chapter, it's for one of two reasons. Either it's a plot device and I left it intentionally vague, or I just goofed up. If you can't tell, assume it's the former.

All this said, I'm more than willing to answer any questions.

Well that's about it for now. Kudos to Naomi Hansen for initially hearing out the idea on the forum. It's been through quite a few changes since then.

Until next time!


	2. Identity

Back with the second installment. Hope you enjoy. Drop a review if you wish. I'm not too concerned with them, but I'll admit that they're pretty nice.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

**(Blah)**= scene change

* * *

A lone figure sat atop the roof of a three story, stone building, his legs dangling off its edge. The loose fabric of his hooded, ankle length coat whipped and waved in the small gusts. Ashen eyes, once staring at the rising of the early morning sun, looked down at the few pedestrians below him, getting an early start on their activities for the day.

He was suddenly alerted to a presence behind him: the slightly transparent, cloaked form of a Lost Soul, hovering a few inches above the rooftop. A deep eerie call sounded from its throat and without turning to face it, the figure spoke.

"The students found the passage, yes?" Another ghostly wail emanated from its hood. "What of the tree's defenses? How far were they able to infiltrate?" A silent pause followed, and when the ghost answered again, the figure's eyes widened momentarily. His gloved hand rose into the air, and three more Lost Souls materialized into existence with a snap of his fingers. "Find them. Notify the others when you have located the Exseed."

The soul's hooded heads nodded in confirmation, and they each blasted off into a different direction, whipping through the air like birds in flight. The figure tucked a few strands of hair that had been displaced by the force of their takeoff out of the way. His eyes returned to the rising sun, its orange light just now beginning to pierce darkness of morning.

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Second Pip: Identity**

* * *

_It was at this moment that Victoria Flaresong understood the meaning of terror._

_Of course, she knew the definition of the word, a form of unbridled fear. But it wasn't until now that she had truly comprehended its scope: realizing the difference in power between her and the glowing white haired boy in front of her, the realization that he could break her at any moment he pleased. It was this fear that left her completely transfixed, unable to budge even a single muscle fiber._

_His hand, light brightly pulsing from his skin, was brought back; his fingers straightened and packed together like a spearhead. Then, his mouth upturned into a malicious grin, and his hand thrust directly into the center of her chest._

Victoria's eyes snapped open and she shot forward, throwing blanket and sheet off her torso. She looked around the relatively medium sized confines of her dorm room. Nothing seemed out of place or unordinary. Her sparsely populated bookcase and study desk sat against the left wall while a clothes cabinet occupied its opposite; standard furniture that had come with the space.

It took her a few moments to calm her haggard, erratic breath down, and it was at that point that she noticed her left hand placed in between her two collarbones. A cold sweat had secreted from the majority of her skin, a repulsive fact she took note to correct with a quick trip to the room's adjacent washroom.

The light of the morning sun pouring into the bathroom window freed her from having to light a sconce, and she took the liberty to assess herself in the mirror above the sink. The sight of her hair, a maze of golden tangles, and the bags under her eyelids did nothing to raise her spirits. A quick splash of cold sink water gave her a sense of rejuvenation and proper awakening, something she desperately needed to convince her that the nightmare was indeed a resident of her imagination.

_Clank!_

The girl's head shot around, and she immediately rushed back into her bedroom, making sure to grab the broom leaning against her desk. Then, she exited her room and stepped into the short hallway connecting to the front door and the kitchen. The clanking of pots and pans continued resounding, accompanied by the rattling of boxes and bags. She slowly crept along the wall. Someone was definitely in her kitchen; the noise plus the muffled grunts only validated that fact.

Her grip tightened around the broom handle and after a deep silent breath, she leapt into the kitchen.

Unfortunately, her foot came in contact with a discarded iron pan. She stumbled forwards into the uninvited visitor and they collided with a simultaneous yelp, the contents of the cereal box he held spilling onto the floor just as his back made contact. Victoria shot up instantly, taking this unplanned chance to quickly grab her broom, but she stopped halfway, frozen in place just above him.

Spiky black hair, tan skin; she had definitely seen this boy before. They stared into each other's eyes for what seemed minutes and before she could even open her mouth to speak, her dorm room door eased open and in walked the worst two people that could have been there at that moment.

"Hey Victoria, are you awa-?"

Ty Stormwhisper and Tala Mythhammer looked down at the scene unfolded before them. Victoria, clad in nothing but pajama pants and a tight-fitting tank top, was perched precariously over a tan, stark naked boy, their faces only centimeters apart. What's more, the blonde seemed to be sweating and breathing hard, and a menagerie of cereal flakes had been strewn across the floor.

Victoria's head turned to the two new boys, and within a moment she realized what the situation may look like from an outside view. Ty was the first to comment, turning back towards the door.

"Sorry about that. Just pick up where you left off f-"

"DON'T COME TO CONCLUSIONS ON YOUR OWN!"

…..

"…and that's when I accidentally fell. That's all it was."

The two boys seemed to express acceptance of her explanation. Well, Tala at least; knowing Ty, he wouldn't let her live this one down for quite a few months.

The three Ravenwood students and their special guest all sat around in the girl's bedroom. She and Ty sat on her rather uncomfortable mattress, Tala occupied her desk chair, and the mysterious boy took to the floor, happily munching on cereal. The Diviner had brought along a pair of his own boxers and pajama pants, finally giving the boy much needed clothing.

"Anyway, what are you guys doing here so early?" She asked, hoping to change the topic. "It's barely six o'clock." Ty began to answer accordingly.

"Just decided to pay a little visit and to make sure he hadn't jumped you or anything. Imagine my surprise to find it was the other way arou-" The blonde's hand clasped firmly over the brunette's mouth, and she gave him a simple smile chock full of the vilest of intentions.

"We really just came over to bring our friend here some pants." Tala clarified. "Though there is some truth to what Ty says. We were rather worried."

"Why was he left with me anyway?" She queried.

"Your dorm was closest after we escaped from the chamber." The boy leaned back in his chair, eyes wandering to the ceiling above. "It's still hard to believe everything that happened last night. Feels kind of like some weird dream."

"But that dream is now our reality. We have to be careful about how we handle this." Ty tacked on. The other two gave him confused looks, signaling him to go on. "If that giant treant trying to kill us was any indication, we broke into a highly classified, guarded area. Basically, if anybody finds about this, we could be expelled." Flaresong and Mythhammer gulped simultaneously. Stormwhisper gestured to the mystery boy, who had by now virtually tuned out their conversation. "On the other hand, we can't keep him hidden forever."

"So what do we do?" Victoria asked.

The group fell quiet after that while the boy continued to happily devour the cereal box's contents, completely unaware of the somber mood. At length, Ty answered. "We keep quiet for now, at least. Do you two have classes?" He received two nods in reply. "Alright. I don't have classes until the afternoon today, so I'll stay here and keep an eye on him."

"We'll have to think of something in the meantime." Victoria stood to her feet, releasing a coupled yawn and stretch of her back. "Let me get dressed. I'll see you in class, Tala." The boy in question gave her a nod as she returned to the bathroom, then sent Ty a small wave before heading for the dorm room's exit. Once he had successfully exited and Victoria's restroom door closed and locked, Ty looked towards the raven haired teenager and breathed out a pleasant sigh.

"Well looks like it's just you and me. My name is Ty Stormwhisper." A curious, childlike innocence shone in the boy's emerald green eyes. Ty nodded, then smirked.

"Though you can just call me Lord Ty."

…..

The synchronized sounding of school bells resonated through hallways and classrooms, and the Beginner Symbols teacher Herbert Runewarden let out a disappointed sigh. The students sat in their desks before him with hopeful look in each and every eye. He chuckled to himself, then closed the book he had been lecturing with.

"Alright, class. I suppose that's enough for today." Each and every child stood from his or her chair, securing books and bags. He did his best to speak over the clatter of the activity. "Make sure to go over the notes on page fifty seven."

Victoria and Tala shuffled out of the room with the remainder of the mass and into the grand hallway of the General Studies building. As always just after the end of a period, the sunlit corridor was completely packed full of moving bodies dressed in a variety of colorful outfits and the two students did their best to navigate the cramped space, finally ending up in the main entryway. Upon exiting the building, the duo made a left down the cobblestone path, a route not currently traveled by many students.

"It's great that we have most of the same classes together." Victoria remarked, making conversation with her fellow scholar. Two of her school books were hugged close to her chest. "I've been too busy to make any friends here."

"I know what you mean." Tala responded with smile, adjusting the straps on his brown leather backpack. "It seems like every day is endless practice and study. What about Ty?"

"Oh I knew him way before I entered Ravenwood." Her eyes shifted down towards the floor, and the male could see the subtle gloom in both them and her voice, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. "We grew up togeth-"

Victoria instantly paused; both her voice and her body, and Tala found himself overcome by the same paralysis. Their bodies simply tensed up at that moment for no apparent reason, though the boy could feel the faint hand of magic washing over his skin, and presumably hers. Eye movement seemed to be functioning properly, though, and two looked around as best they could for the source of the sudden affliction.

Their answer came in the condescending, almost livid voice of Professor Cyrus Drake, who appeared in a flash of yellow light before them. Two wooden constructs stood to either side of him, each with a blue vest and matching cap. They circled around the duo's transfixed bodies and took defensive stances as if keeping them from escaping. Cyrus continued to stare at the students, and they returned the gesture with fear and confusion.

"I will release you from the spell momentarily." He began, his voice low. "When I do, you will not move and you will not speak unless otherwise directed by me. If you attempt to escape, you will be erased. Instantly."

He snapped his fingers, and the two released a breath they didn't know they were holding. Feeling returned to their arms and legs, and it was at that moment that Tala recognized the spell he had used. The boy wasn't aware that the Stun spell had the power to completely paralyze an entire body. Whether it was to his own lack of magical power or to the vastness of the professor's, he was unsure. Regardless, he and Victoria did as they had been instructed, and Cyrus continued.

"We have viable reason to believe that the two of you were involved in the infiltration of a highly classified area. Is this true?" Both gave no answer for a moment, and then solemnly nodded. "Very well; your punishment will be decided at a later time. There are more pressing matters to attend to." His gaze narrowed. "Answer wisely. In the center of the room, there was a large crystal. What happened to it?"

Victoria spoke up after another quiet moment. "When we entered the room, we were attacked by that huge treant. When it tried to get me, I dodged, and its claw scraped against that crystal." She gulped under his scrutinizing eye. "After that, the crystal began to glow, then it just…just exploded, and out came this glowing boy with white hair…"

"Glowing…boy?" The professor breathed out the words.

"Yes." Tala affirmed. "And for some reason, the treant wouldn't attack him, even as we were carrying him when he passed out."

"You have the boy?" Both students were taken aback by the strange urgency laced in his tone, but nodded. "Take me to him immediately. It is utmost importance that we find him as soon as possible. He is in grave danger."

….

"Hmmm…."

Ty Stormwhisper looked down towards his hand of cards: one four, two threes, a seven, and lastly a two. Nothing special; just a simple pair. His purple orbs traveled from the cards faces to the face of his opponent, and after a few seconds of scrutinizing he found himself unable to read the mysterious boy's visage. Of two things he was almost positive. First, the boy's hand definitely had to be much better than the Diviner's, and second, he had one good poker face.

It was then that he remembered his opponent had absolutely no idea how to play this game.

Honestly, he had no recollection of anything. From what the student was able to coax out of him through yes or no questions that were answered with silent nods, the only thing that the boy remembered was awakening this morning and being 'attacked' by Victoria. Not even anything that had transpired the previous night; any pieces were either blurs in his memory at best or simply nonexistent at worst. He was relieved to notice that while the male seemed unable to talk, he could at least understand most of what Ty was saying. It was confusing to say the least, though the wizard did his best not to dwell on it too much.

"One pair!" The boy stared with a curious countenance as Ty laid his hand down on Victoria's bedroom floor. The storm wizard gave him a raised eyebrow. "Let's see you beat this."

The teen looked wide eyed at his cards. Then, in the same manner, he set them on the wooden boards beneath him and breathed out a confident huff. Ty looked down, and deadpanned. Five hearts, a ten, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace; in other words, a Royal Flush.

"Sorry, kid." He began, lying through his teeth and pointing at the cards. "That's no good. All of yours have the same pattern. Mine have more variety, so I win." The boy suddenly grew somber, and Ty couldn't help but feel a twang of guilt.

That guilt was soon forgotten with a knock at the room's entry. Ty raised an eyebrow at the pounding. He couldn't imagine who it could be at this time; most students were already in their next class by now. As the knocking continued, the Diviner asked the boy to gather up the cards while he made his way towards the door.

Halfway there, he stopped in his tracks. He wasn't sure why or what, but there was an overwhelming sense of dread emanating from whatever was on the other side of that door. He took a step forward as another series of knocks rapped on the door, then another until he was exactly a yard length from the door. The pounding stopped soon after and a creepy silence filled the space, which was eventually interrupted by Ty's voice.

"Who is it?"

A pause, then out of nowhere, the long steely blade of a sword pierced through the door, soaring towards his position. On pure instinct, he jumped backwards, though not fast enough to completely escape harm. The tip of the blade pierced his chest and he let out a grunt of pain, stumbling back onto the floor and gripping the wound with his hands. The sword retracted from the door slowly, scratching along its wood. A rushing tackle forced the door open, inadvertently breaking part of its hinges, and two figures stepped in.

Hideous rattling accompanied the first's entrance, followed by the scraping of boots and his scimitar against the ground, which he had not bothered to re-sheath. Ty looked up amidst the searing pain, clenching his teeth, and couldn't help but marvel at the animated skeletal soldier walking towards him. The black shield clasped in its left hand was clearly made of the same metal as its helmet. A crimson fabric made for a makeshift loin cloth, the only source of material hanging from its sun-bleached bones. The wizard's eyes widened in disbelief at the second: a cloaked figure clad in nothing but midnight black, the shadow of his hood far reaching enough to cover everything above bottom of his eyes.

The skeleton waddled in step by step, his presumed master keeping a good distance behind him, and as they both passed the downed Diviner without even paying him heed, he moved to see the skull image plastered across the cloaked man's back.

"You…" He struggled to breathe the words out. "You're that…"

"Yes, I am." His response was low and indifferent. "I must thank you. You made my job much easier."

"What…are you…talking about…?"

"Him." He raised a finger at the boy in front of him, who was slowly creeping back as far away as possible, fear evident in his eyes. "As you're already aware, the boy's chamber was heavily guarded, though I wasn't sure to what degree. When I heard you conversing about the Exseed myth, I gave you that map in hopes you'd look for the passage and…perform a test run of sorts."

Ty gritted his teeth, anger almost wholly replacing his previous agony. "You…you used us just to test out its defenses?"

"You were nothing more than disposable pawns." He stated matter-of-factly. "Imagine my surprise when you not only survive, but bring back the Exseed with you." The hooded man's gaze focused solely on the boy, and he brought an inviting hand up. "Even more, this all powerful seed turns out to be a pathetic little boy. I do so detest unnecessary physical force, young one, so if you would come with me."

The boy's body began to shake uncontrollably and his eyes continued to shoot back in forth between his potential kidnapper and his wounded friend on the floor. Moments passed, and the man narrowed his eyelids, releasing a discontent sigh. With a simple snap of his fingers, his armed minion sheathed its sword and trudged forward, wrapping the bones of its fingers around the child's neck. It hoisted him into the air amidst his grunting and flailing, and the hooded man gestured for the skeleton to follow him out the door.

"Where do you think you're going?" The man looked down towards his left boot, his face blank upon seeing Ty's fingers keeping hold around it. The Diviner raised his head and his own lips formed into a defiant smirk. "You chose the wrong guy to piss off."

"Really?" His voice seemed disinterested as he reached his hand back and grabbed the handle of his minion's sheathed sword. Its blade came free with an iron rasp, and he rested the scimitar's end just inches above the teenager's neck. "Perhaps I should end his life then. Wouldn't want to take any chances."

Tears began to pour out of the boy's eyes as he watched the scene forming before him, though the skeleton's grip was too strong for him despite its lack of muscles. The man raised the blade high above his head, its end almost scraping against the ceiling, and as it began its descent, Ty closed his eyes in acceptance, though his grin didn't budge an inch.

The hooded individual stopped at that moment, acting quickly enough to divert the momentum to the side. The blade slashed a cut in Ty's pointed hat, just missing the top hairs of his head underneath. The Diviner's focus moved towards the event that had drawn the attention of his beheader.

In one instant, the boy's messy hair flashed from midnight black to the purest white, and his once emerald green irises had completely vanished. Time seemed to stop for that one interval, and in the midst of that momentary silence, the boy's hand shot forward in tandem with a violent pulse of energy, breaking cleanly through rib cage and grabbing hold of its spinal cord. A second energy burst followed up the first, completely decimating everything in the vicinity around his hand. The skeleton's spine split in half, and it collapsed to the ground lifeless.

"Seems you have some fight in you after all." The man remarked as the boy's feet touched down, his eyes burning with a quiet intensity.

"He's not the only one."

The man heard Ty's voice from a few meters away, and noticed just then that he could no longer feel the student's hand on his boot. However, an even more threatening noise originated above him drew his attention upward. It could only be described as a portal; a blackened wormhole with a diameter the length of its summoner, and something seemed to be traveling through it. He was greeted to that something a second later when three lavender bats, each the size of cats and wreathed with torrents of electricity, emerged and began to encircle him. A violent explosion of pure electrical energy ripped apart floor and wall alike, and Ty had to shield his eyes to keep from going blind.

When the light subsided, the Diviner looked at the unfolded scene. The blast had indeed torn through most of the floor in Victoria's bedroom and part of the short hallway leading to the kitchen and front door. Smoke wafted from gaping holes in the adjacent walls, their ends burned by the excessive heat energy. Even more fumes encompassed the impact site where a sizeable crater had been left in the destructions wake. It was impossible to see directly through this smoke, though off to the side he could see the Exseed boy in the far corner breathing heavily. His white hair had vanished once again, and his emerald green eyes were once again in their usual place.

At this point, Ty relaxed his body against one of the walls in the hallway. Blood continued to pour through his chest wound. His breathing seemed unaffected, so he reasoned the sword must have just missed his lungs. Regardless, it was times like these that he wished he had taken a few life magic classes; at least enough practice to seal up a small wound.

"_If that kid hadn't distracted him, I wouldn't have had enough time to draw the storm sigil_." Ty's purple eyes returned to the site of that same spell, just as the smoke began clearing away.

"Did you think you won?"

The wizard's breath cut off in an instant as the familiar voice sounded from the crater. The smoke was now clear enough to reveal the hooded man's form. Every last inch of his body was covered with bones, unevenly charred to a fine black by the spell's electricity.

"_The skeleton's bones_…" Ty began to reason, noticing the disappearance of the man's minion. "_He shielded himself from the electricity by covering himself with the bones. But…there's no way that one skeleton could have covered his whole body_."

The man began a slow saunter forward towards Ty, every step lingering longer than the last. Pieces and chunks of bone fell to the ground one by one, and the realization finally came to Ty as he saw four femurs on the man's body.

"To be able to draw a storm sigil in that situation while wounded; you have talent, kid." The man's voice admitted, oddly much lower and raspier than it had been before. "If I hadn't summoned a second skeleton's bones, I might have taken quite a bit of damage."

"_This guy…he's on a different level than me_." A small smirk graced Ty's lips, and he looked over to the boy who was still breathing heavily, seemingly so exhausted that he couldn't even stand. The cloaked man stopped midway between the two boys and from the floor behind him, a Lost Soul rose through the boards. It let out a deep, haunting wail, apparently capturing the man's attention.

"A professor's headed this way? How troublesome; we don't have the power to take on that kind of magic yet." His focus moved to the boy behind, who struggled to look up at him. The man pointed his finger, then began tracing a black colored sigil in the air. "Congratulations, boy. You just learned your own identity." A large dark rift opened up behind him, and he turned, walking into it.

"We'll meet again, Exseed."

The hole closed just as he issued his last words, and the moment he disappeared, the boy looked down at his hands with fear evident in his eyes. For some reason, all he could remember was being gripped by the man's skeleton, and when he regained his sense of self, the skeleton was snapped in half on the floor.

A groan from Ty brought him out of his reverie, and the boy quickly made his way to the wounded Diviner. As he looked around in a worried panic, the sound of hurried footsteps preceded the entrance of Victoria, Tala, Cyrus, and his two wooden golems into the dorm room.

"What happened here!" Tala asked, astounded at the damage around the place.

"Ty!" Victoria knelt down next to the brown haired boy, scanning his chest wound with horrified eyes. "Ty, are you okay? What happened here?"

"Grab him, Mr. Mythhammer." Cyrus commanded, and the initially surprised student heeded his call, helping the constructs to lift the Diviner up and out of the room. "The wound is shallow, but we must treat him immediately to prevent complications. Quickly all of you; we make haste towards the medical center."

"What's going on, professor?" Victoria's brown eyes were on the verge of tears. The normally stoic Drake could not help but feel a twinge of regret, and he turned away from her, walking after the others. He gestured for her to bring the boy with her.

"Once your friend is in stable condition, I shall explain everything to you."

* * *

**(Author's Notes)**

Phew, there's chapter two. Hope you guys enjoyed. Next chapter should answer some of the more general questions, as it can be a little hard to follow at this point.

Thanks to all those that have been reading, and stay tuned for next chapter.


	3. Fate

Alright time for chapter three. Not much action or anything, but it is a needed chapter. Hope you enjoy either way. As always, thanks for giving the story a read.

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

**(Blah)**= scene change

* * *

_Tick…tick…tick…_

Victoria Flaresong stared aimlessly at the ahead of her, just above the rough wooden door that led out into a hallway of the Ravenwood campus hospital. She didn't move and she didn't blink. Occasionally she would draw in a deep breath, but otherwise her eyes remained solely transfixed on that singular, magical clock and the rhythmic movement of its hands.

It was for some time that she had remained like this, Cyrus noted, though he had done nothing to question her admittedly odd behavior. Not even Tala, who sat next to her on the ornate, Marleybonian sofa, had uttered a word as the presiding physicians and nurses wheeled Ty into the emergency room for treatment. The Professor had assured them his wound was shallow at worst, though his proclamation obviously did nothing to quell the children's fears, no matter their efforts to hide them.

And so they sat as seconds lengthened into minutes and minutes into an hour, silence prevailing throughout their private, white washed waiting room. The man noted, however, that their quiet demeanor bore no awkward connotations. Rather, a strange, all consuming unease for the confirmed safety of their friend kept their thoughts preoccupied and their mouths without much to utter. Cyrus, one to enjoy a quiet moment in his normally hectic schedule, found their concern somewhat admirable, though like them he opted to keep his thoughts unspoken. He would, of course, never let them know that. He had appearances to keep up, after all.

It was but a few minutes later, when the professor had admittedly had all he could muster, that the presiding physician entered the room, standing within the door frame and propping the door open with his outstretched hand. The pale skinned, black haired man immediately drew the two students' attention, who otherwise hadn't moved for anyone or anything.

They're breath seemingly caught in their throat at his appearance, and the elder Myth wizard drew first words. "What is your analysis, doctor?"

"He made it through without a problem." Almost instantly, the two teenager's faces morphed from their stricken forms, and both breathed a quiet sigh of relief. The doctor gained a warm smile of his own as he continued. "Like you said, Cyrus, the penetration was shallow. We closed up the wound rather easily, but two to three days of limited activity should prevent any complications."

"Good. That's good to hear. What of the other child?"

"Nothing of note to worry about." The man crossed his arms, letting the door ease gently back until it came to rest on his shoulder. "In fact, none of the injuries he possesses seemed to have been acquired today."

All three gained incredulous looks at his reply. Tala couldn't leave his question unanswered. "Injuries? What injuries? He looked fine when we first saw him, and he hasn't been in any dangerous situations other than this last one."

"Really?" One of his hands rose to rub the stubble on his chin. "Well I don't have much to say, just what Professor Wu told me to pass on. She'll be able to explain more thoroughly."

"May we go see them?" Victoria's voice was still hushed, but the relief was evident. The physician propped the door even wider and stepped to the side.

"Be my guest."

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Third Pip: Fate**

* * *

At his response, the blonde turned to Tala and with a nod of approval both stood from their seats and passed through the door. Cyrus followed shortly after, and with that the four stepped out into the similarly-hued hallway. On their journey down the brightly lit corridors, the two novice spellcasters couldn't help but take in the sights around them. Nurses armed with clipboards and quill pens walked with purpose past them, not even bothering to look up or voice an apology whenever they accidentally bumped shoulders. The sparse doctor population they came across appeared to be wrapped up with some sort of busywork. Most if not all the medical personnel had some form of bags under their eyes, including the man that had come to retrieve them in the waiting room.

The group soon reached their intended room, and it was as the doctor placed a hand on the knob that the worrisome thoughts reentered Victoria's mind. True, the wound was pronounced superficial, though the mere fact of being stabbed was enough to truly shake someone, at least in her line of reason.

Her fears were instantly quelled as they entered and her expression took on a deadpanned appearance, if not annoyed.

"So there I was, on the ground in a pool of my own blood." The nurse continued her checkup while the boy gave his debatably exaggerated account, placing a stethoscope to his cloth-wrapped chest. From what Victoria could see, she was obviously feigning interest in his story, and the girl sniggered inwardly at his lack of notice. "As I'm lying there, I start charging pips without him noticing then as soon as he gets distracted, I…"

"Good to see you're healthy." The Diviner paused as he picked up the girl's less-than-excited voice, and he gave her a sheepish grin as he rotated towards her.

"Eh you know me. One little stab isn't enough to take me down." Even the blonde couldn't help but smile at his response, a warm feeling of relief washing over her.

The remainder of the party filed into the room just as the nurse completed her assessment, and with a few simple instructions for her charge, she departed. Victoria sat on the edge of his bed to the left of his covered feet, while Tala and Cyrus took positions leaning against the room's north wall. The doctor stopped to the side of the mattress after picking up the clipboard the nurse had left at the bed's foot.

He stifled out a yawn, skimming over the various numbers inscribed upon it. "Alright, Mr. Stormwhisper, seems that you check out just fine. You've had your blood transfusion, right?" He silently nodded, and the man smiled. "Then it looks like you're free to go. Just make sure to take it easy for the next few days."

"I'll make sure to tell Professor Balestrom that. I could use a vaca…tion…" The storm wizard trailed off and his sarcastic edge slowly subsided as his eyes wandered to the imposing form of Cyrus Drake. His eyes widened, and he gulped nervously, his voice taking on a stuttering quality as he mentally cursed himself for forgetting the man's presence. "I m-mean…I…."

"A vacation, you say?" The Myth professor's tone was livid, all could feel it, though you couldn't tell just by the sound of his speech. "Well then, Mr. Stormwhisper. I'll make _sure_ to let Professor Balestrom know that he should prepare a suitable amount of written assignments for you in your absence." A few muffled giggles and chuckles escaped from Victoria and Tala's mouths, respectively, causing the yellow clad man to direct a sinister eye in their general direction. "Is something funny, Ms. Flaresong and Mr. Mythhammer?" Both teens shook their heads in fright. "I thought not. Need I remind you the level of trouble all of you are in. That will be all, doctor, and thank you." The physician returned with a nod, then walked towards the door, sniggering himself.

As the soft click of the closing door rung through the room, the three students cast glances at one another. Finally, Tala spoke. "So…how much trouble are we in, exactly?"

"Illegally infiltrating a secured area of the school is a grave crime. I would imagine expulsion at the very least."

"Now, Cyrus. Let us not make such rash decisions."

Before the three children even garnered time to form a protest, the room door cracked open once more as a calm, somewhat weathered voice intervened in the conversation. Robes of deep purple, emblazoned with yellow sun, moon, and star patterns and lined with stitches of crimson and gold, covered the body of the moth-eaten old man. His snow white beard came down to the lower end of his ribs, and a wiry hand kept hold of a gnarled wooden staff topped with a crystalline orb. A glass monocle rested on his right eye, shielding one of the two cerulean orbs that rested in his sockets. The elderly man, despite the suggested age of his appearance, held no stagger or unease in his steps. Rather, he walked with the poise and vitality that one of the children themselves could muster. A strange sight, one that seemed to betray conventional logic, though the evidence was never less there before them.

_Headmaster of Ravenwood School of Magical Arts: Merle Ambrose_

He turned his gaze upon the trio of students, and a smile formed underneath the hairs of his thick mustache and beard. Then, he motioned for them to remain in their places as they each rose or moved to greet him. "At ease, young ones. All of you have had quite the eventful past two days, after all."

"Headmaster Ambrose." Victoria was the first of the three to speak, bowing her head humbly. "I'd like to apologize for all of this. We didn't mean to cause so much trouble."

"What has already transpired cannot be reversed. No ill will is barren towards any of you." The old wizard replied evenly. All grew visibly relieved at his words, though nobody noticed the small huff that emanated from Cyrus. "For now, I would have you relay to me the events that transpired yesterday."

At his request and without protest, the triad began to explain everything. Their tale began with Cyrus's mythology paper, of which the professor scoffed at having even had a hand in encouraging the incident. They told them of the strange, hooded boy that had revealed the location of the secure area and their entrance into the chamber itself, each filling in details that the others would leave off. Next, they recalled with detail the attack of the chamber guardian, their brush with imminent demise at his hands, and how the emergence of the boy from the crystalline seed had saved them, an experience none were sure to soon forget. Last was Ty's skirmish with their mysterious assailant, which Victoria was sure he would exaggerate beyond need. Even now, she never seemed to be wrong when it concerned the boy's personality.

When they finished, each settled down, and a silence space filled the room as Ambrose regarded their tale. Victoria decided to add on a few moments later. "If we had known of all this before, Headmaster, we never would have gone in the first place."

Ty and Tala casted quick, simultaneous glances at each other.

"No, I still would have gone anyway."

"Me too."

Without even looking back at him, Victoria grabbed Ty's feet and ruthlessly bent his toes backwards, eliciting a grunt of pain.

"Settle down, young ones." Ambrose gently chided, chuckling at their antics. "Your description seems to correlate with what we've found, but your story brings an additional set of problems." All three donned confused looks, which impelled him to continue. "Firstly, I would do better to explain a few things. As the legend states, one thousand years ago Bartleby planted a crystal seed no larger than a coin, and over time that seed had grown into what you saw last night. The three of you are most likely aware by now, but that boy you released from the chamber's crystal is indeed the Exseed of lore."

"The Grandfather Tree never explicitly stated what was inside the seed." Cyrus picked up where his superior left off. "To think that it would be a mere human; with the body of a twelve year old, no less."

"He was not intended to be twelve, I assure you Cyrus." The Professor raised an eyebrow at Ambrose, who in turn gazed in the student's direction. "Your bout with the Chamber Guardian had some unfortunate implications. You see, the Exseed was fashioned in the same manner as any other seed. The treant's claw must have torn through the nutrients section, and that in turn shunted the embryo's growth. As a built in defense mechanism, the seed ejected the embryo and broke apart, leaving behind the boy you have become familiar with."

"So he wasn't meant to come out yet?" Tala queried after a momentary silence.

"No, he wasn't." The old man raked his free hand down his beard. "He still had quite a few more years of growing left, though fortunately his most vital functions were already installed in the past." The three young wizards were a little more calmed after knowing that the extent of their unintentional meddling hadn't reached too far.

Ty leaned forward slowly, alternating his gaze between Ambrose and Cyrus. "Now that that's out of the way, I'd like some information on my attacker. Do you know anything about this?"

"Only pieces." Cyrus answered. "Naturally, the Exseed's primary purpose is to unify the Spiral. Of course, there are people who don't agree with this course of action. I suppose your assailant was of this category."

"We had already been expecting attacks in the future." The Headmaster admitted with a grimace. "Though it is troubling for one to happen within only half a day of his release." He turned to Ty, that same grave look still evident. "Only students are allowed on campus for any extended period of time. It is harrowing to think, but my hunch is that the man who led you to the Exseed and attempted to kill you may very well be a tenant of this school. As such, it is imperative that the Exseed not take up residence here."

"We will have to assign the best students to guard the Exseed at all times. I'll also increase guard patrols around the city as …" Cyrus began, though he was quickly cut off by Ambrose.

"No, that will not do. The wizard who attacked Ty was quite powerful, and we are unaware of his identity. Furthermore, we have no evidence that he was the only assassin sent. There could very well be other agents amongst the higher echelon of students. I'm not about to take chances with this."

"Increasing guard patrols around the Exseed's location would only tip off this mysterious group as well." Tala speculated calmly. Cyrus leveled a displeased look at him.

"Then what do you suggest we do, Mr. Mythhammer?" For this, the dark haired boy had no answer, and his gaze slowly wandered to the floor. A silence ensued, and at length Victoria, steeling herself, rose from her seat on the bed and looked Ambrose straight in the eyes.

"I'll….We'll take care of him."

"Preposterous." The Myth Professor scoffed. "The only one of you who's had the training to even cast a proper spell is Mr. Stormwhisper, and rudimentary spells at best. The people after the Exseed wouldn't send pushovers. They are definitely all high class spellcasters."

"Then I'll get stronger!" She blasted back, complete throwing him and the others off guard. "I'll take extra classes. I'll train every day if I have to." Her voice lowered into a whisper, but her words still bore the same emotional intensity. "We broke into the secret chamber. We hid the Exseed without telling anyone. Whether we want to admit it or not, most of this was our own fault. I'm not sure about them, but I'm willing to take responsibility for this. I'll make it right somehow."

Another silence ensued after that, and soon after Tala's voice grabbed everyone's attention. "I'm with Victoria on this one. It became our job the moment the Exseed was freed."

"I don't know about all of that." Ty smirked, cracking his knuckles. "But if there's one thing, I definitely want to lay a punch right in the face of that hooded guy. Count me in as well."

At length, with both Ambrose and Cyrus's faces stunned, the former's lips soon curved upward into a pleasant grin. "Alright then."

"Headmaster, you can't be serious!"

"Relax, Cyrus." He shifted his attention to Victoria. "I hope you…I hope all of you understand the gravity of this situation." The three, after some time, firmly nodded. "Very well. The Exseed is in your care for now." He turned around with a flourish, the ends of his robes swaying in the process, then motioned for Cyrus to follow him before making towards the door. "We will provide what we can for you. Report to my office first thing tomorrow morning. For now, you may rest, but remember this. The enemy knows his face, and yours." His last words as he fully exited caused looks of worry to appear across their faces. "The storm will come soon enough."

A period of quiet emerged in the wake of the powerful wizards' exit. Each only cast glances around the room and towards each other, not quite sure of what to do next. Eventually, Ty removed the blanket that covered his legs, shifted his legs, and stood, his warm soles contacting with the cool hardwood floor.

"Alright enough sulking, you two. Let's go see that kid and go home."

Victoria and Tala gave weak smiles, and with that the trio also filed out of the room, albeit a bit slower due to Ty's recovering body. It was a short walk, only two rooms down and easily found due to the wide open door and the boisterous voice of its female occupant radiating from within. Before entering, the students peeked in, spying two figures.

The first could only be described as a cow, though not in a derogatory sense. She was literally anthromorphic bovine, outfitted in the greenest of silk kimonos overtop a brown tunic. Her skin was as pale as freshly fallen snow, and black hair was neatly tied up into bun. She seemed the only medical personnel the children had seen that didn't look as though she was about to pass out from exhaustion.

_Head Professor of Life Magic and President of the Wizard City Medical Corps: Moolinda Wu_

After initial confusion, Victoria recognized her, moving into the room without further hesitation. The female cow, upon hearing her footsteps, turned to her and elicited a warm smile. "Ah you must be the three students. Don't mind me; I was just finishing up here. Please, come in."

Tala and Ty soon followed in the female companion's footsteps, their eyes wandering to the bed bound, black haired form of the mystery boy now better known to them as the Exseed. Bandages wrapped around his neck from the top of his Adam's apple down to just above his collarbones, though other than that he did not seem to have any more visible injuries.

"Your friend here is just fine." The professor continued. "For some reason, his vocal cords were not completely formed, but a quick surgery was able to amend that problem. He should be able to speak just fine from now on." The trio nodded happily, and with that the bipedal bovine stood to her feet and made her way towards the exit, humming an upbeat tune under her breath.

A pregnant silence bared its head in her absence, the shuffling and speech of the staff outside the door filling in as white noise. The Exseed boy kept his head down as much as his recovering neck would allow, and his fingers gripped firmly on the white sheets covering his lower half. Neither of the two groups, the boy or his rescuers, dared to look at each other for the space of at least dozen seconds. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity to Victoria, the boy spoke.

"I'm….I'm sorry. I've caused you all a great deal of trouble." It was the first time any of them had heard him speak before, and it was unfortunate that his words had to be so full of regret. Ty touched on this verbally.

"Oh come on now. We finally get to hear you talk, and that's the first thing you say?"

"But…but Lord Ty! I…"

"Whoa…." Victoria's head snapped around to the Diviner, and she leveled an accusing eyebrow at him, Tala mirroring her action to the letter. Both spoke at the same time. "Lord Ty?"

"Why do you instantly assume that I came up with that? Maybe he just recognized my greatness." Flaresong and Mythhammer turned back around slowly, not even gracing his words with an answer, though the female did elicit an exasperated sigh. The storm wizard picked up where he left off. "Listen, kid. Don't feel like you owe us something. If it weren't for you distracting that guy, I wouldn't even be here right now."

"If it wasn't for me, he wouldn't have come for you at all." The boy shot back with a slightly raised voice.

"You're wrong." Everyone's attention turned to Tala as he interjected calmly. "From the moment that guy left the map to your chamber with us, he was definitely intending on killing us off later. That much is clear. We were already apart of this before you even came out." The boy opened his mouth to protest, but found he couldn't argue with the student's logic.

"Do you remember anything?" Victoria queried.

"Nothing of my own memories before this morning. Only what Headmaster Ambrose explained to me half an hour ago, and that wasn't much." He leaned back into his pillow and released a dejected sigh, rubbing his temples with his index fingers. "This…It's all just a lot to take in at one time."

"You won't have to take it by yourself, though." The blonde girl reassured with a smile as the boy raised his head. All three students gathered around his bed. "We'll help you get through it. We're all in this together now."

"Of course, if we're going to be comrades, we'll have to know your name first." Ty added lightheartedly.

The boy's emerald eyes wandered to the foot of his bed for a moment before coming back up to stare into the Diviner's own. His lips formed into a shy smile, and his voice was just above a whisper. "Fate. Ambrose said it was Fate."

"How appropriate, don't you think." Tala said with a chuckle.

"Well then, Fate." The storm wizard moved around Victoria to stand directly next to him and held out his right arm before him, his hand curled into a solid fist. Fate, catching onto the gesture moments later, copied his action and their knuckles collided with a soft tap. Tala, Ty, and Victoria all smirked concurrently. "Welcome to Ravenwood."

* * *

**(Author's Notes)**

Okay, chapter three down. If anyone is curious, this is going to be a long story. Scores upon scores of chapters probably. That said, I hope you'll enjoy it.

Again, I didn't want to plot dump tons of information on you, so some minor questions will be answered in future chapters. I also plan to introduce some elements not present in the game. Hopefully I present them in a believable way.

Until next time!


	4. Duel

And here is chapter four. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

**(Blah)**= scene change

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Fourth Pip: Duel**

* * *

The bells' harmonious chimes were already ringing as Tala pushed open the front double doors of the general studies building. His pace quickened as he stepped foot inside, cutting a swathe down the hall through the remainder of people also rushing towards their own classes. It had been a relatively easy journey to class, as easy as sprinting through the overflowing masses of the shopping district and commons could be, and he breathed a sigh of relief upon finding his seat near the middle of the back half of the classroom.

With the ham sandwich he had too hastily guzzled down prior protesting in his stomach, the black haired teen gave a few cursory glances around the room. The first thing he picked up on as he surveyed the space's occupants was the lack of Victoria and Fate's presence. He glanced up at the clock above the blackboard. Granted, they still had a few minutes left before class began, though today was the blonde's first actual commute to class from outside Ravenwood. She had no idea the kind of pedestrian traffic that littered the streets during the morning rush; something Tala was already well versed in.

Moving his eyes forward, he spied the respective backs of his other classmates. Collectively, their voice managed to fade into a background hum around him, though he was able to single out a particular conversation that piqued his interest.

"Did you hear about what happened the other day? Everyone's talking about it." The pale skinned, green eyed Mindy Pixiecrown whispered to students adjacent to her.

"You mean about that attack in Gobbler Dorm the other day?" Duncan Grimwater, who sat behind her, asked in confirmation, tuffs of his own shaggy white hair falling underneath the hood over his head. "A friend of mine who lives on that floor said the whole room was completely destroyed."

"What? I haven't heard anything about this yet." Susie Gryphonbane, a tanned skin girl with coffee brown hair, interjected. "What happened?"

Duncan turned to his left to face her, leaning the side of head on his propped arm. "From all the stuff I heard, apparently someone attacked Victoria's room while Ty Stormwhisper and some new transfer student were visiting, and that the transfer student saved Ty and drove the guy off."

"Wait, isn't a new student joining our class?" Anna Flamewright realized, touching up her dark blue hair with a brush. "Is it the same guy?"

Any further follow-up regarding the girl's question was prevented by the timely entrance of Mr. Herbert Runewarden, who greeted the presently assembled class of ten with an eager smile. His cheerful disposition was always a breath of fresh air for the students, what with the likes of Cyrus Drake instructing their first class every other morning. As always, he retrieve a small notepad from his travel bag and initiated the traditional roll call, which moved forward in the usual manner with a mixture of 'here', 'present', and one or two 'right in front of you sir' for good effect. His difficult eyesight had always been a topic of well natured humor amongst the students.

"Now, let's see…" Herbert whispered to himself, before bringing his volume you back up. "It seems the only absent students are Ms. Flaresong and…"

"Sorry we're late." The man's voice trailed off as a fiddling of the door handle preceded the arrival of the girl in question, followed closely by another humanoid figure. All eyes darted to the figure that entered behind her. Victoria continued towards her desk, continuing her sentence over her shoulder. "Didn't know how crowded the commons is in the morning." Tala couldn't help but smirk at that.

"Ah, there you are, Ms. Flaresong. I'll overlook it since you've had quite the eventful past few days…" The instructor added two final checks to his tally before directing a curious eye towards the boy. "And you must be our transfer student, no?" He gave a silent nod in reply and Mr. Runewarden turned to face the class body. "Alright children, we have a new student joining us today. Please tell us who you are."

As he stepped forward, all the seated novice wizards directed their attention to him; more specifically the class's female population. His hair, a conglomeration of messy, raven-hued spikes, complimented well with his tanned skin, just short of light brown; though it was not until they lay eyes on his faultless, emerald eyes that melting sighs escaped a few mouths.

"My name is Fate Evergreen." Whichever females hadn't sighed at that point caught up with the other as soon as he gave a smile and began to speak. "I'm a transfer student from Krokotopia. I hope that we can be coming good friends."

A nod of approval and subsequent hand gesture from Mr. Runewarden gave him leverage to choose his own desk, and he subtly slipped into the seat to the right of Victoria, who sat behind Tala. As the instructor started towards the board and everyone save the new transfer retrieved their textbooks, Tala could only continue to chuckle as he keyed in on the whispered conversation taking place in front of him.

"He came here with Victoria, so that must be the guy that saved Ty."

"Did you hear that? He's from Krokotopia."

"This proves it. Foreign guys are always more attractive."

o o o

"So…Krokotopia?" Tala asked with a raised eyebrow as he, Fate, and Victoria made their way down the hallway after class, their bodies near shoulder to shoulder.

"The Headmaster told us he'd have to have a convincing backstory." Victoria answered. "He at least looks more Krokotopian than the people native to Wizard City, and it was easy to pass off a transfer student from there."

The trio continued moving at a uniform pace, sticking within the confines of their small group and conversing over the various questions Fate voiced. To the boy's credit and Victoria's surprise, he had managed to come to terms with his situation fairly quickly, especially for someone who had supposedly been locked within a crystal for a thousand years. Ambrose's careful guidance and the girl's own private tours over the past weekend had been particularly helpful in familiarizing him with the more prominent districts and culture of the city and various worlds. She was merely glad that he had mostly able to adjust, and that the worry and concern that had dominated his face just days before was subverted with an inquisitive and joyful spirit.

Within minutes, they arrived at the General Studies Building Cafeteria and were greeted to the multitudes of clanging utensils and even conversations washing over them. White washed brick formed the walls of the open hall, disrupted only by the silken banners of the various magical disciplines. Even more vibrant than the tapestries was the ocean of color formed by the outfits of students, either digging into meals at wooden benches and tables or retrieving them the lunch line, contrasted against the fresh carpet of grass strewn over the floor. It was at that point that its proper name, 'The Garden', fully made sense within Victoria's mind.

The trio grabbed their meals, Tala and Victoria directing Fate in what appeared to be food and what actually was food; a minor setback of a magical school. Then, they weaved their way through crowds of students before the blonde girl spotted a solitary figure at one of the middle round tables.

For a student of death, his skin seemed surprisingly healthy; not the usual pale that the others paraded around. His solid black held a greyish tint at places and fell down to the nape of his neck. His shirt and pants, both a dark grey, were embroidered with various black lines and symbols of his particular school. Lastly, a wooden staff topped with a red jewel surrounded by gold, leaned against the table.

_Journeyman Necromancer: Malorn Ashthorn_

"Mind if we sit here?" Victoria asked with a sarcastic edge, snapping the boy out of his thoughts. His eyes rose from his coffee brown, hardcover book and with a few welcoming gestures, the group took to their seats.

"Well, haven't seen you in a while, Victoria, Tala." He remarked with a smirk, directing his eyes to the black haired, green eyed boy across from him. "Who's your friend here?"

"Oh this is our newest transfer student, Fate Evergreen." Her fork plunged into her salad, and she downed her mouthful before continuing. "Fate, this is Malorn Ashthorn. He's a long time friend of Ty and I."

"Ah so you're the one everyone's talking about." Malorn remarked, closing his book's cover after the two exchanged curt greetings.

"Talking about me? For what?"

"Well apparently you turned into quite the star once everyone learned of your involvement in that attack a few days ago." The necromancer directed his eyes over the boy's shoulder to the table a dozen feet behind him. He and Victoria carefully turned around, first to the table then all around, noticing the quick but obvious glances other students would cast every now and then. When their eyes returned to Malorn, he continued. "I'm actually a little intrigued myself at that. Among the second semesters, Ty's a known talent. It must have been quite the struggle against a guy that could take him down."

"Now that he mentions it…what did happen?" Tala queried, lifting a curious eyebrow at Fate.

"Well actually, I didn't…"

"Hey, you."

Fate's words instantly cut off as a distinctly male voice sounded off behind him, inviting a silence in the area around them that was previously full of preteen chattering. Without even turning around, the emerald eyed boy could feel the stares of the other students and particularly the piercing gaze of the boy behind him. With a gulp, he gradually craned his neck and took sight of his provoker.

His deep yellow hood, its color consistent with his shirt and pants, covered the thin, aesthetic face of the pale skinned boy. A cape, outlined in grey, cascaded down to his lower back from his shoulders. Grey sleeved arms rested comfortably at his sides, a long metallic staff held parallel to the ground in his right hand.

_Initiate Conjurer: Nolan Stormgate_

"Ah, Nolan. How nice it is to see you." Tala's tone was laced with a sort of lackluster spite, eyes darting off to the side to avoid receiving a visual of his form.

"Can't say the same for you, Mythhammer." The hooded boy replied evenly, as if he hadn't noticed or rather simply completely ignored it. Tala grunted, now allowing his face to follow suit in the direction of his eyes while Victoria silently wondered where their little spat had come from. Nolan directed his focus back to Fate. "Word around the first year classes is you saved Ty Stormwhisper."

"_First years already? How fast do rumors spread around here_?" Victoria queried inwardly, her eyebrow twitching before deciding to intervene. "Just leave him alone, Nolan. We don't want any trouble."

"I'm not bringing any trouble, Flaresong." She took note of his obvious tendency to refer to his lesser liked acquaintances by their surnames. "I just came to get a look at this supposedly powerful transfer student." His eyes took on a more condescending mirth. "Though I suppose they were just rumors after all."

"Why don't you let his ability speak for himself, Stormgate. He may surprise you." Malorn countered with an amused smirk. Nolan paused for a few seconds, then returned the same gesture.

"Is that a challenge, Ashthorn?"

"Only if you think you can handle it." Tala added, positioning himself back into the conversation. "Our boy here will mop the arena floor with you."

"We'll see about that. Be at the general studies gym at midnight. Try not to get caught or you forfeit." The Conjurer gave one last withering glare at Fate as he spoke before turning around and walking off. Victoria watched his retreating form disappear into the crowd of seated students, the overpowering variety of colors causing her to lose track of his position soon after.

Malorn refocused his gaze upon Fate, who for some reason seemed completely unaffected by the events that had just transpired. He thought this strange, though eventually assumed the boy was attempting to hide his nervousness, which prompted the death student to send out a few words of encouragement. "Don't worry. He's not even as strong as Ty, and we'll help you work out a strategy. What spells do you know?"

"Spells? I don't know any spells."

Silence reigned for the space of five seconds before Malorn spoke evenly.

"Sorry, I didn't quite hear that right. Say that again."

"I don't know any spells. And as I was about to say before, I didn't save Ty from anything." His eyes trailed off to the side and his voice grew the smallest bit quieter. "He's the one that saved me."

Another silent space ensued, more awkward and lengthier than the last. Fate watched as their faces, particularly Tala and Malorn's, adopted a serious quality. The former brought his cup of water to his mouth, took a few sips, then spoke as he lowered it back down onto the table.

"We are so screwed."

"I don't know why you two are surprised." Victoria said, her voice level though the tone of her words taking on a subtle scolding quality. "Both of you always jump head first into stuff like this without thinking, and now Fate is going to get pummeled by an upperclassmen because of it."

"Hey." Fate interjected. "What makes you so sure I'll lose?" He stood his ground as the blonde a scrutinizing stare. "Maybe if I just punch him before he can cast something…" Tala and Malorn's eyes met each other, and each of their faces took on a 'why didn't we think of that' look.

"What are you? From Grizzleheim?" She snapped back, those same looks soon deflating. "This isn't some brawl. They signed you up for a _wizard_ duel. You won't last a minute without spells of your own." Her voice calmed down at this point, and she breathed out a heavy sigh. "I'm going to go talk to Nolan and call this thing off…."

"Absolutely not!" Tala argued in a raised whisper. "We called Nolan out. If this fight doesn't go down, Fate will lose face with just about everyone."

Victoria's tone matched his. "Are you serious? What matters more; your pride or your life?"

All three boys blinked, then responded in complete unison as if the answer was obvious.

"Pride."

The blonde haired wizard was dually surprised by the underlying seriousness in Fate's voice, and under their awaiting stares, she could do nothing except concede, albeit unwillingly. "Fine, go ahead. But don't expect any help from me. I don't approve of this one bit."

The three boys exchanged gleeful high-fives at her words, Fate mostly caught up in the other two boys' excitement. They stood from the table, taking their respective books and food trays to the local disposal bins before making their way towards the exit, leaving Victoria to finish her meal on her own and with a distinctive feeling about the inherent lack of common sense within the male persuasion.

o o o

It was with haste that Victoria made her way down the darkened general studies corridor, dimly lit sconces providing the only source of visual guidance. She purposely rolled her feet as she moved, making sure to limit the echo her steps made. Against her better judgment, she was coming. She hadn't planned to come, even going so far as to completely remove the event from her mind, but her own caring instincts had kicked in sometime between the trip back to her new apartment and the subsequent beginning of dinner.

Thankfully, it wasn't too long before she had reached her destination and the fear of being caught out of the dorms by the school night watch alleviated for the most part. She entered the general studies gym with caution, noticing the large number of people that had formed a wide circle over the rubber-padded, beige floor. Recognizing a few familiar faces, she made her way over to fellow classmates Mindy Pixiecrown and Susie Gryphonbane, who struggled to see from their position near the outer rim of the circle.

"Hey, you made it Victoria." Mindy exclaimed with glee as the blonde approached, her voice mostly drowned out by the chatter of the students in front of her.

"Yeah, just barely. What's with all the people? I didn't think there would be this many."

"Apparently word got out to some of the higher classes." Susie explained to the best of her knowledge. "I wouldn't be surprised if the whole student body knows by now."

"_Gossip around here is like an epidemic_." Victoria thought with a sigh before the sound of Malorn Ashthorn's raised voice near the circle center captured her attention. With a few gestures she and her two classmates pushed and maneuvered their way through the packed confines of the crowd, which were not as thick as the outside had made them appear to be, muttering small apologies as needed. As they reached the inner wall of the circle, she looked around, quickly spying her charges a few meters away to her left.

As the three girls walked over to them, Nolan, who stood across from them on the circle's other side, stepped forward, grabbing his metallic staff from one of the two students beside him. With an encouraging pat from Malorn and a nod from Tala, Fate mimicked his actions, doing his best to maintain a confident façade. The two reached the center of the circle just the female trio arrived beside his two 'coaches'.

"How does it look?" The brown eyed girl did her best to mask the worry in her voice.

"Not great, but at least there's a slim chance now." Malorn replied, keeping his eyes focused on the future combatants while his face took on a small grin. "There was no way were going to pull off teaching him spell signing, so we opted for a different route. It took me most of the evening, but I found my old practice wand."

"Practice wand? How's that thing going to help him in actual combat?"

"You're in your first semester, so you wouldn't know. Practice wands didn't always have those Professor-controlled safe modes on them. That only started last year." His index finger stretched out and the blonde eyed the short, star capped wand clasped in Fate's right hand. "The one I started out with completely skipped spell signs, so he should be able to cast."

Sounds of shuffling feet filled the floor as students around the inside perimeter of the circle began to scoot backwards, ushering those behind them in the same direction. Fate kept his eyes fixed on Nolan, who had already placed a fair distance between them and taken a stance. The dark haired boy mimicked him, finding it the most appropriate gesture in the downtime before the commencement of the fight.

Amidst the beginnings of cheers from the assembled spectators, one student stepped out from the audience and began to proclaim in a loud voice. "Alright, this is a one-on-one duel. Minions and pets are forbidden. The match ends when surrender is verbally declared. Are you ready?" Two nods, one more hesitant than the other, gave him his answer. "Very well. Begin!"

"Let's see what you've got, transfer." Nolan was already prepping his spell the moment the signal was given, his index finger extended and tracing a strange, triangular pattern in the air. Simultaneously, a glowing orb of energy materialized, floating to the right of his right shoulder.

Through this, Fate kept his eyes focused and his visage calm. Malorn had scarcely touched on the occurring events earlier in the day during their prep session, though it was enough for the boy to assess the situation accurately. His arm flew up parallel to the ground, and the star-topped wand pointed at Nolan's position. Upon seeing this action, the Myth student began to hurry through the remainder of his sign, its lines jagged but otherwise functional. He was unsure what spell his opponent would be able to cast without drawing some sort of sign, though the look in Fate's eyes suggested his sureness.

As Malorn had hastily shown him just an hour ago, Fate began to draw magic into the wand, and the object garnered a shine not so much dimmer than the pip that hovered next to Nolan. The Initiate Wizard finished the last of his sign and with an extension of his own staff, the pip imploded, and both boys spells burst forth simultaneously.

Or at least, that's what should have happened.

A large, brown bat materialized in front of Nolan in a curt flash of light, flapping leathery wings in an effort to keep its pudgy body aloft. On Fate's end, nothing. No flash of light. Nothing, except for brief outline of a spell sign dissolving into particles literally the moment it appeared. Nolan's Blood Bat set the confused boy in its sights, and as it darted towards him, Malorn and Tala could only look down in utter annoyance at their luck.

"He _would_ fizzle…"

Fate made a horizontal sweep with his wand as the bat soared in, which it easily avoided with a strong flap that boosted it over the attack's range. Nolan immediately began a second sign upon seeing his opponent resorting to swat the creature away. A second bat appeared within moments amidst the roiling cheers of the crowd and flew in to join its comrade.

"What's wrong, transfer? Where's all the power that saved Ty, huh?" The Myth student jeered, sending a third bat his opponent's way. All three bats began to circle around Fate's position at different speeds and heights in a form reminiscent of a tornado, so fast that the boy deemed it impossible to pick them off with a swing of his wand.

"Alright, that's it." Victoria spoke aloud, voice muffled by the crowd but audible to those around her. "This is nothing but pointless bullying. I'm stopping this fight before it grows out of control." She stepped forward, and as Tala and Malorn moved to keep her in place, a horrible screeching sound wrenched everyone's attention from the fight.

Three lavender hued bats, wreathed in electric currents, soared just over the heads of a section of the encircling audience, the displaced wind blowing at their hair and hats. The flying mammals picked the blood bats off with perfect precision, charged fangs sinking into flesh and wings carrying the myth creatures toward the ceiling before all disappeared in small explosions of light and electricity well above everyone's heads.

Nolan looked to left, surprised at the simplicity in which his spell was vanquished, and spied a familiar form pushing through the crowd.

"What do you think you're doing, Nolan." Ty Stormwhisper asked with raised eyebrow, everyone having gone quiet at his appearance.

"Ty? I…" The Myth Wizard began to stutter as the Diviner approached Fate, asking if he was alright to which he gave a positive reply. "There was this rumor…that you were saved by this kid. I just wanted to beat him so I could…"

"So it would be like indirectly beating me." Ty finished the sentence in an unamused tone, catching the boy off guard. He placed a hand on Fate's shoulder. "Next time you get a bright idea, why don't you check your rumors. I saved this guy, not the other way around."

Skeptical whispers from the assembled students were soon quenched as Fate nodded in agreement to Ty's words. Soon after, shuffling feet accompanied the gradual movement of wizards out of the gymnasium, most muttering thoughts of disappointment of the match's conclusion. Mindy and Susie, joining the crowd, threw last waves to the group and Nolan before exiting. Nolan was the last to take his leave, muttering under his breath and not slightly content at his admittedly shallow victory.

As he escaped earshot, Ty turned to the others, letting loose a terse explanation. "Sorry about all that. He's pretty driven when trying to beat me."

"How did you even know about this?" Victoria asked curiously.

"A classmate told me about a midnight duel and I'd been on my final day of bed rest, so I wanted some excitement. Imagine my lack of surprise to find Nolan had a hand in all this." He chuckled to himself at those last words before shifting the subject. "Anyway, it's late and I have class in the morning, so I'm heading back to my dorm."

"I'm with you there, Ty. Hopefully I can sneak back into the house without getting caught." Tala added, motioning over his shoulder for the others to follow. Fate followed behind Victoria as they all made their way out, though he paused and turned to Malorn as he remembered something.

"Oh, almost forgot." He tossed the star-capped wand to Malorn, uttering a word of thanks as the boy caught it. At that, the necromancer stood still, watching the quartet travel into the hallway before his eyes wandered down to his practice wand.

It dawned on him in the following seconds.

"_Wait…practice wands _can't_ fizzle…_"

* * *

**(Authors Notes)**

Alright, sorry about the wait for this one. College really does capture your full attention, and writing my main project doesn't help this story receive a scheduled update either. Luckily, I get out April 15, which will hopefully leave me more time to write both.

Fight was short, though I didn't want it too long anyway. Hopefully I did the featured spells justice. I will say that some spells and aspects of combat might be altered slightly to fit my direction, though nothing glaring.

Next chapter begins the Unicorn Way arc. Hopefully I'll be able to add a fresh spin on it.


	5. The Green Songstress

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

"Alright. One, two, and…heave!"

Fate Evergreen stared wide-eyed with the most innocent curiosity as a group of men, two stout humans and a heavy set, bipedal grizzly, pushed off from the ground outside a street side home, straining to place a rather large crate in the bed of a horse drawn wagon. Their task accomplished, the males released haggard breaths before noticing the teenager looking their way and sent him cheerful waves which he returned in full force.

"You coming, Fate?"

Victoria's pleasant call captured the dark haired boy's attention, and he made a slight jog over to her, slowing down before taking some of the bags dangling from her hands.

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Chapter Five: The Green Songstress**

* * *

It was mid-morning by the time the duo had awoken on the beautiful early Saturday, and the looming artificial sun had already began its journey westward by the time they set out for the Shopping District, intent on procuring supplies to cover the next week. Together, classes, studying, and keeping the Exseed out of harm's way was beginning to become a full-time job for the blonde, and her once lazy weekend mornings had morphed into an errand-fest.

A light breeze intermittently blew at their bodies as they walked, ruffling hair, loose sections of clothing, and the various canvases and trinkets that hung from store windows and the colorful curbside stalls lining the expansive streets. No matter how many times he had passed by the area and other like it, Fate could do no more than marvel at the diverse population of the crowd.

Most plentiful were members of his own race, and he found a subtle sense of comfort in the superior numbers of humans. Commanding his interest more were Marleybonians, three of which he passed as intellectual mutters and gibberish spewed from their snouts, most of which flew right over his head. Bug eyed. Playful elves scurried about underfoot, dogging and weaving between legs in a high speed game of tag. Fate admittedly couldn't tell if they were children or adults, though he supposed knowing changed nothing. Both young and old cleared the way at times, intent on avoiding the paths of the occasional imposing Cyclops that trudged through, bearing large rustic sacks on their backs and stooping under stone overhangs that connected shops.

That said, traffic in the marketplace was not as cramped as she had initially thought, though from experience it was bound to grow worse. She approached the vibrant red canvas of a particular stall with that thought in mind and exchanged her handful of golden coins for a few spice bottles, freshly picked vegetables, and a sack full of oven-baked baguettes.

Loud coaxing and animated haggling spewed from every shop and stall as the pair began their journey back towards the commons, Fate happily hauling most of the grocery bags and Victoria musing that, if anything, it was nice to have an extra set of hands to help her. Since her earliest memories, convincing Ty to do anything out of goodwill or chivalry was like pulling teeth, but Fate had been surprisingly well-mannered though inept at the simplest of household chores.

"Can I eat the bread now, Victoria?" A curt rumbling from said boy's stomach preceded his question, the duo stepping through their apartment building's front door and peddling up the rather lengthy oak staircase situated in an adjacent room. Ambrose had been kind enough to set up a 'scholarship' for her and Fate, giving them enough money to cover rent, food, and utilities every month. Once she found a part time job, though, she promised to wean herself off the Headmasters generosity. Accepting handouts usually left a bad taste in her mouth.

"Sure, just as soon as we get to the kitchen." They exited the stairs on the third floor, trotted eagerly down the newly-polished hallway floor, waving to the janitor at the other end, and with a twist of Victoria's key, they stepped in.

If the size of the apartment was any indication, Headmaster had not skipped out when choosing a suitable location for their residence. The apartment building itself leaned more towards a condominium than its namesake, what with its lofty stature and prime location in town. Their particular apartment reflected that perfectly. Two ivory-hued couches and similar recliners surrounded an onyx coffee table, all centered in their spacious living room complete with crimson walls and mahogany floors. The high ceiling gave view to a second story railing and the entrance to the loft's two bedrooms, while the kitchen and breakfast nook lay to the right of the door. After her scanning of the living room and movement into the kitchen, Victoria idly thought that her self-imposed 'weaning' might come later rather than sooner.

She set her grocery bags down on the kitchen counter, then breathed out a laden sigh, plopping into one of the recliners in the living room. It was at that moment, as she could hear Fate munching on his selected baguette from the kitchen, that she noticed two things: the brown-haired, purple robed boy snoring softly on her loveseat and, his black-haired, deep blue robed counterpart leaning back into the room's other recliner.

Two seconds of complete silence passed, and her once confused look warped into one of pure annoyance, the sound of her previous sigh apparently having awoken Ty Stormwhisper and Tala Mythhammer. The former released a boisterous yawn, stretching and running a hand through his hair as he sat up.

"Finally. What took you so long?"

"We were in the market all morning. I actually have to go out and buy my own food now." She countered, regarding the two boys with a curious eyebrow before heading back into the kitchen. "Do I even want to know how you two got in here?"

"Well it wasn't anything illegal." Tala explained, dangling the ring of his own on his index finger. Fate, armed with half his baguette by this point, wandered over to the two boys and plopped down next to Ty as the sounds of a knife hitting a cutting board and rustling bags provided white noise to the novice wizard's words. "Ambrose had a key made for each of us. You know, just in case we ever need to check up on you two."

"Great. Now Ty can come here during the middle of the night and eat my food." Victoria breathed out, her attention drawn to the counter space in front of her. "I'll have to buy a lock for the cabinets now." She returned to the living room seconds later with two plates in hand, each topped with a sandwich constructed of lettuce, tomato, a white cheese, and neatly sliced cold ham, laying one on the laps of both her guests before levering herself into the remaining recliner. Both boys uttered thanks before having at their meal. "So what brings you two over so early?"

Tala was the first to respond, swallowing his mouthful before answering. "Well the Headmaster called us into his office this morning. He said there's something we might want to look into. Are you familiar with the name Lady Oriel?"

"I think so." The blonde pondered, leaning back with eyes shifting upward towards her high ceiling. Fate's eyes simply darted between the three students as each one spoke. "Isn't she some wizard who lives on Unicorn Way?"

"Not a wizard. She's a seraph, and a powerful one at that." Ty corrected. "Anyway, Ambrose told us that the crystal fragments that treant cut off still hold parts of the Exseed's power, and he thinks that Oriel may hold clues on synthesizing them back into Fate."

"At the most, the Headmaster said to just give her this letter." Tala reached into his pocket and pulled out the aforementioned, folded object, a folded note with an 'H' shaped crest at its center.

"And here I was looking forward to a near work-free weekend." Victoria sighed, standing to her feet.

The dark haired boy chuckled at her comment, rising to his feet with her. "At least it's nothing strenuous, and if we go now we'll have the rest of the day off."

The remaining two joined them, Victoria grabbing the now empty plates from Ty and Tala before venturing towards the kitchen. As she returned from placing them in the sink, Fate entertained the thought of grabbing his long sleeved, hooded robe from the coat rack to the right of the entrance, a thought supported by his fair haired co-inhabitant, and with a clear objective the four set out, the door closing with a soft click behind them.

o o o

"So where does Lady Oriel live? Unicorn Way isn't exactly the smallest section of Wizard City." Victoria mused skeptically, the thought coming upon her as they neared the raised large, wrought-iron gate that funneled into Unicorn Way, the street's name carved into the gray brickwork above.

"Ambrose said a student familiar with the area would lead us there." Ty curtly responded, leading the way with staff in hand.

The journey from her loft hadn't been as nearly as long as the one through the shopping district, closer in length to her daily commute to Ravenwood. As she had predicted earlier, said district and the commons were filling with energetic bodies as noon drew nearer; bodies of students enjoying their weekend off or heading to Saturday classes, street performers whipping around in jester-like uniforms while holding out a hat for whatever gold coins might come into their possession, bodies of stoic scarlet-draped armored guards standing at full attention with spear in hand.

One such guard regarded the four with a wary eye as they approached, sizing each of them up before stopping his eyes on Fate for a longer time, whose hood perfectly concealed his face. Since Fate's assailants could recognize his face, Victoria's initial thought was to keep it thoroughly hidden when outside campus territory, though she could now understand how suspicious it would seem to a guard.

Her assumption proved correct as he called out. "Hey, you in the back. Let me see your face." The boy sent a look towards Victoria who only nodded for him to comply. The guardsman watched him for a moment, noticing the nervousness in his visage, then backed off, apparently placated by it. "Alright, you seem fine enough. Sorry about that. Just these reports about some hooded roughneck attacking students have put our ranks on edge."

The four nodded in comprehension, and with a verbal queue from the man moved forward through the vast tunnel, whose walls were covered in softly glowing ivy that substituted as a light source. The shining tendrils only seemed to grow in luminescence as they drew further inward until the once gray stone that encapsulated their path became naught but a lime green. The ivy soon gave way a few minutes later to a warm, ethereal sunlight, and the quartet stepped out into Unicorn Way proper.

Green was all that could describe it. Pure, undiluted green stemmed from every leaf on every tree that provided needed shade from the beating sunlight, every shrub and flower that gave life to house yards, and every blade of grass that lined the cobblestone pathways on either side. Birdsong tittered in the highest reaches and warm winds ruffled loose clothing and leaves, though more so than that, every aspect of nature seemed to move along with some hidden biological rhythm; like one single organism.

Their path soon came to a crossroad in the middle of a busy square, causing the group leader Ty to pause and consider the proper direction. Of his many trips to Unicorn Way, he had mostly familiarized himself with the lay of the land. Further evidenced by the majority of student traffic, the east road led towards the Ravenwood-owned dueling arena, of which the four could make out its domed, leafy roof and sandy colored walls. He had little knowledge of the west path, but the northern route definitely held access towards the famous Unicorn Park, and as the group came within its boundaries they laid eyes on the towering statue for which it was named.

Several varieties of flowers dotted the grass throughout the park and small children released themselves to their more energetic instincts, running wildly around despite their parents' best efforts to corral them. A small group sat at the center of the park, near the wide circular fountain that served as the statue's base, and attracted by the sounds emanating from them, Fate branched off from the group and wandered over to them.

As the boy approached, he not only noticed the serene faces of those gathered around but the numerous fairies moving about also. He became wholly entranced by their dance, ducking and weaving in and out of the assembled crowd, their transparent wings releasing some sort of radiant dust in their wake. His eyes soon looked forwards towards the source of the sound, primarily the two figures seated upon the fountain's edge.

The one on the right, a boy around Ty's age swathed in dark-stained green robes, raised his eyes as Fate approached and regarded the young teen with a smile. A worn strap draped across his torso, ending in a faded messenger bag hanging at his right hip and the gnarled wooden staff leaned against him sprouted various types of leaves from its apex.

_Initiate Theurgist: Ceren Nightchant_

In Fate's eyes, the leftmost one was much more peculiar than the other. Her short red hair and lithe frame at first confused him, though he eventually deduced that she was female. A jade-stained tank top covered her upper half and a short coffee brown sarong wrapped around her waist, held up by numerous tough belts that crisscrossed across her hips. Snow white pants tucked into fitted knee high boots, and a russet sitar which had seen its fair share of play rested across her lap, strings beautifully plucked in a soothing pattern by her slender fingers. She made no movements as he stopped to stare, only continuing to play without rest.

_Journeyman Theurgist: Aria Nightingale _

Whichever fairies and pixies decided not to join in their race's dances took seats either beside the two people or somewhere on their form, one even dangling her diminutive feet from her place on the head of her instrument. The sight and sounds together were truly one to behold with the boy's limited experiences, and his wonderment was broken only by the opportune arrival of his three escorts.

"Come on, Fate." Victoria beckoned, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We don't have time to-"

"Hold on a second, Victoria." Ty's voice effectively halted her attempt, though as she turned around she noticed that his eyes were on neither of them; rather fixed upon the two individuals seated upon the fountain. At the same time, the one on the right moved from Fate to the Diviner, and a look of pleasant surprise crossed his face. Both moved towards each other and eventually met in the middle, the crowd ignoring them in favor of enjoying the music. As the other three walked towards them, Ty continued. "I think we just found our guide."

"Good to see you, Ty." The male held out his hand, to which the storm wizard gladly accepted. "It's been a while since I've seen you last."

"It sure has. Victoria, Tala, Fate; I'd like you all to meet Ceren Nightchant. He's in my graduating class." The trio and life wizard all took turns exchanging handshakes, before Ty elaborated further. "This is my sister Victoria, and her two classmates Tala and Fate."

"Nice to meet you all. You must be the group Headmaster told me of." All four nodded in near unison. "I wasn't given much information past that, so I suppose I should ask. What business do you have with the Lady?"

The quartet exchanged concerned glances, wondering about the best course of action to take. At some length, Tala cleared his throat and brought out the folded letter. "We're not entirely sure. He only told us to hand-deliver this note to Oriel."

"How strange. A simple note would have no need for four deliverers. Even a single fairy would have sufficed." His confusion soon gave way to acceptance. "Though I suppose Headmaster knows what he's doing. Let us depart immediately."

Instead of stepping towards a direction like Victoria had thought, Ceren whipped around behind himself and made several calling gestures towards the girl still upon the fountain. He finally grabbed her attention, head rising from her sitar strings and a pair of emerald green eyes no different from Fate's locked on to the assembled party with a reserved smile following after. The fairies around and on her departed like startled butterflies as she stood to her feet, the middle of the sitar neck clasped in her fingers and the two long arms of the striped scarf around her shoulders falling down to the back of her ankles. The music died with that, and the seated listeners dispersed with the fairies, though not nearly as quickly.

"This is Journeyman Theurgist Aria Nightingale. She's offered to accompany us today." Ceren explained as she approached, the four beginning another round of greetings, this time with bows instead of handshakes. As she was about to greet the last in line, Fate, she paused and stared; a stare whose silence drew on until the boy shrugged at his other companion's silent questions. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, she spoke.

"You're very different from the others."

Her statement caused Ceren to lift a confused eyebrow and the others to send each other nervous glances. She had obviously noticed something about Fate, though at least from the warm mirth of her smile, there were no ill intentions in her words. The redhead whimsically spun around and began walking northward around the fountain and moments later Ceren gestured for all of them to follow her lead.

o o o

Private O'Ryan stepped from the confines of his one story abode with a sigh, locking the door behind him and venturing down the crowded roadway towards the Hedge Maze, his most recently assigned guard position.

News of the attacks in Ravenwood the other day had definitely set the Wizard City Guard ranks on edge, most of his Unicorn Way comrades being reassigned to bolster gaps within the school territory with hopes of preventing further incidents. This had left the remaining sentries to fill in the resulting gaps, and almost all had seen an increase in hours on duty. O'Ryan himself had just barely managed to fall asleep as he returned home from his shift at three in the morning, and was already heading back to his post, albeit unwillingly. As his eyes drew upon the white stone exterior of his assignment, he was left with the hope that the person behind the attack would soon be caught and he could return to his normal sleeping schedule.

The packed streets petered out into near empty walkways and something peculiar caught his weary eyes as he drew closer. To the left of the front doorway, the familiar form of his coworker Private Connelly stared downward, supposedly in conversation with the three odd figures in question. All wore dark cloaks to shield their bodies, tattered at the bottom, and as the Private entered earshot he could just make out what the shortest one uttered.

"I will not repeat myself again. Open the door, foolish mortal."

"And I won't tell you again." Connelly barked back in disdain, face growing more heated and his spearhead pointing towards their position. "Nobody sees Oriel without proper authorization. Now leave before I arrest you."

O'Ryan could understand the gist of what was happening from their exchange, and he soon placed a free hand on the middle perpetrator's shoulder, speaking roughly. "Son, you might want to do what he says. We'd be glad to let you in later if you just—"

The Private's voice caught in his throat as he was shoved backwards and before he could register what had happened, the sound of rasping metal preceded a swift diagonal slice across his front side. He began to fall backwards, eyes catching the naked scimitar bore in the cloaked figures bony grasp just as his back connected with the stone beneath.

* * *

**(Author's Notes)**

Wow it's almost been two months since the last update. I apologize for that, to those who are still reading. In between my main project, I'll try to update this one whenever I can.

So this is a different take on the Unicorn Way arc, as you may already be able to tell. Everyone except the new female in this chapter is actually an in-game character. OC's will be inevitable in a story like this, so I'm trying to give canon characters like Ceren Nightchant more prominence.

As always, feedback is appreciated. And thanks to Sci-fiwizardman and QueenGaga for reviewing.


	6. The Green Songstress 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

There was silence—horrid silence—as the body of Private O'Ryan collapsed onto the stone paved ground with a heavy thud, blood splattering in multiple directions and staining the attacker's sword as red as the man's own crimson garment. At least, for Private Connelly there was. For everything else, time moved as normal, the assailant swaggering closer to the downed body of his comrade. For him, though, everything just stood at a silent standstill, the scene replaying in his mind without ceasing.

"You."

The guardsman whipped his head around, face now drained of most color. His eyes widened as he witnessed the cloaked figure place his scimitar's tip against the side of O'Ryan's neck. Even hidden by the shadow of his hood, Connelly could feel the hardened stare of the being beneath, and his arm hair stood on end that same being continued.

"You're friend still breathes as of now, so before his time gives out, we propose a deal. Open the door and lead us to Oriel, or he dies."

Connelly watched the sinew-less hand tighten around the sword handle, almost as if he was hoping the man would refuse the offer. On most any other circumstance, the private would be swift to meet his quiet wish, but the factor of an injured hostage gave him pause for thought. He leveled his gaze at the two others the attacker had brought, neither having moved since the ordeal began. A near faint rattling sounded out from underneath the heavy cloaks covering their bodies. He wasn't quite sure what to expect, but feared they carried some sort of weapon like their more verbal comrade.

"Choose quickly." The scimitar pressed lightly against O'Ryan's neck, the man trying to hold back spasms from the injury.

"What do you want with Oriel?"

"I said choose quickly. My patience can only wear so thin."

The guard gritted his teeth, eliciting a grunt. Finally, he gave them a begrudging nod and let his spear clatter to the ground. He could almost feel the semblance of a smirk beneath the hood as he did so.

"You two, follow him to Oriel. If he does anything you think is suspicious, give the signal. I'll slice off his partner's head."

The threat provided the intended results, the last spark of hope in the private's eyes dispersing near instantly. The two cloaks walked forward in unison, stopping just before him and staring as if beckoning for him to begin. Connelly sent one last glance towards O'Ryan, then muttered a small apology under his breath while he yanked on the left door handle.

As he did so, he gazed up at an orange-garbed sprite tucked away in a nook of the stonework. Her fearful eyes locked on him, having seen what had just happened and clearly shaken by it. He looked back at her. There was no sound, not even the slightest twinge; just a solid stare that managed to complete her understanding, and as the Ill-formed trio closed the door behind them she burst forth, tearing through the air in search of someone, anyone who could help.

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Sixth Pip: The Green Songstress 2**

* * *

"This your first time in Unicorn Way?"

Aria's voice effectively broke Fate from his semi-aware trance and his head whipped around to her, embarrassed that he had been enraptured by the sights around him enough to forget her presence. The two green eyed individuals walked along a good dozen feet behind the remainder of their party. Victoria would look back every few minutes to confirm their proximity, smiling serenely as she watched the two make pleasant conversation from time to time, but otherwise left them to their own devices.

The scenery through the group's trek hadn't deviated too much from what they'd experienced before, minor additions including a swell in the population of fairy's and pixie's zooming in and out of trafficked roadways. Buildings had grown progressively whiter on the exterior, though through a combined effort of the increase in foliage and bystander outfits, green remained the predominate color of the inner neighborhood. Other colors held at most minimal influence, the occasional crimson wrapped, spear wielding guard on patrol or a Ravenwood student gathering supplies for an upcoming assignment.

"You could tell?" The boy asked with hoisted eyebrow after giving a confirming nod.

"Of course. You sound much more amazed than your friends." She answered, a calm smile on her face and her left hand finding its way to the diagonal strap running across her chest. To her credit, the citar fixed upon her back didn't seem to give her steps any added burden, other than the occasional strap adjustment.

"I can't really help it I guess." A sheepish grin overtook his face. "Everything in Wizard City just seems so… alive and beautiful."

"You're not from around here?"

"Krokotopia." He replied after some time, a subtle twinge of guilt ringing through his mind. "I only moved here recently…." Before the boy even had time to finish, he found Aria's scrutinizing stare trained on his face. At first, he wasn't quite sure what was going on, but eventually as the uncomfortable silence drew on, he felt the need to ask. "Is…there something wrong?"

"You're lying." The statement was simple, but enough to cause him to stumble over an outgrown tree root he could have otherwise easily avoided. Catching himself quickly, he stood straight and caught up to her with a slight jog. "At least, you're not telling me the whole truth."

"Well, I…uhhh….I…" Fate proceeded to stutter randomly, nervousness building up.

"Don't worry about it. Everybody has their secrets. I'm not one to pry." Her lips curved upward into a thin smile, and she faced forward, continuing. "Though I'll admit, I am kind of curious about you."

"W-Why is that?"

"I don't know. I can't really place my finger on it." At the same time, she angled her gaze to the blue sky above, wispy white clouds waving softly in the occasional breezes. "Like I said, you're…different from the others."

Fate carefully calculated his response, wary of her growing suspicion of him. "I still don't understand what you mean by that. Do I look any different?"

"Well I wouldn't know anything about that." A small chuckle escaped her mouth. "Your sound. You sound different than any other person I've met."

If it was possible, the boy became more confused at the response than he was before. He opened his mouth to speak, but before sound exited she increased her pace, skipping to join with the rest of the party and sending him a coy smirk. Bewildered and still wholly confused, he released a sigh and caught up himself.

Conversation between the six remained constant during the remainder of their journey, Ceren and Aria taking turns pointing out various famous locals of the nature-themed neighborhood or giving explanations to the occasional posed question, most of which originated from Tala. The dark haired boy seemed to hold as much interest in the street as Fate, though noticeably of the intellectual and historical kind, though the two Life wizards were happy to oblige.

In fact, the sheer knowledge Aria in particular possessed of the neighborhood overwhelmed Ceren's input on more than one instance. Coupled with that, though, was an even more confusing mystery about her. She didn't seem to exactly know her way around. Her direction predictions were spot on, and street names were called out without hesitation, but as for actually following the directions, the other Theurgist was forced to take the lead. None of the Fate group said anything about it, though a few inclined eyebrows shared their mutual confusion

Feeling somewhat ahead of schedule, the sextet decided to pause for an afternoon lunch at a local cafe. Absent within was the overarching green theme, other than the intermittent potted fern and the numerous fairies whizzing about overhead. Here, earthy browns reigned supreme on the polished floorboards and oak hewn tables, while a stainless white coat overtook the walls. Luckily enough sunlight filtered in through the numerous windows to give a bright and open feel in what otherwise would have seemed a fancy, yet dim eatery.

The party took their places in a rectangular table near the far corner and ordered nothing more than a few appetizer-worthy plates; Tala, Ty, and Fate still held over from the morning's sandwiches. Fresh steam wafted up from the resulting breaded pastries as they were set down, and as a few of them reached over, Aria spoke.

"Could one of you pass me the salt?" The innocent tone of her voice wholly bewildered everyone except Ceren, who simply picked up the glass jar and placed it in front of her without a second thought.

"Ummm…Aria?" Ty hesitated as her face came up from her plate, half a pastry comically lodged in her cheek. "What was that?"

"What?"

"That salt. It was literally right in front of you."

"Ohh…" Her eyes rolled upwards, face taking on a pondering expression, then she gave an apologetic smile. "I guess I didn't mention this to you before. I'm blind."

Silence set in instantly around table, other than the clank of Victoria's fork as it dropped from her hand. Aria kept up her smile, adding in a sheepish rub of the back of her head, and seeing her spirits un-deflated at the revelation brought their worries some ease, at least enough for Tala, Ty, and Victoria to brake the uncomfortable quiet spasmodically.

"Blind?"

"Aren't you our guide? It's kind of important that you can see."

"Why wasn't this mentioned before?"

"She's our guide, right?"

"You're not really blind, are you?" Fate's level statement and equal visage brought their outbursts to an effective halt, and all turned to the boy with widened eyes, his own stare trained on the red haired female. Having all eyes on him brought a shiver to him, though he quickly shook it off and continued, albeit tone more hesitant. "She can't be, right? When we talked before, she looked at me like she could see me. Almost nothing she's done before this looked like she couldn't see."

His deduction morphed her smile into a smirk. She leaned forward, elbows on the table. "Well, you're right, but I'm also not lying." Any faces free of confusion before were quickly remedied. A simultaneous sigh and chuckle fled her mouth.

"Don't worry, I'll help them out." Ceren's elbows found their way onto the table surface and his fingers laced. As he did so, two fairies descended from their perches in the rafters of the ceiling, one landing before the boy and taking a bite from his bread, the other leveling itself onto Aria's right shoulder. "I'm sure all of you read in your history classes about how Bartleby sung the world into creation?"

"Creation is life, and life is motion." Aria picked up where he left off, green orbs dancing with an interested mirth. Ceren chuckled slightly at barely getting his sentence out before she took over. "Every creature, every plant, every atom ever created is in constant motion at all times, and anywhere there is movement, there is sound." The fairy leaped from her shoulder back to the ceiling with her companions, and the girl watched her retreating form. Her voice was clearly distant, but none of them could sense any sort of sadness within. "The entire universe is supported by sound, and I have the ability to see the sound of all things."

"We Theurgists harness the power of that sound in our spells." Ceren finished. "She's only the second person I've met who could actually see it, though."

The explanation seemed to serve them for the moment, at least abate their fear of being blindly led through the roadways of Unicorn Way. Despite his now curious disposition towards the first's identity, Tala or any of the others would receive no further elaboration, particularly as an orange-clad sprite sliced through the air next to Aria's shoulder and came to a staggering halt on the table as she tried to kill momentum. Fate noticed her appearance when she stood to her feet: disheveled, hair windblown, and heavy panting escaping at gradually lengthening intervals as she regained her breath.

Before any could question, the miniature humanoid whirled around to Aria, voice a barely identifiable squeak. "Aria, come you have to help us!"

"What's wrong, Nyx?"

"Lady…Lady Oriel. Someone's broken into the Hedge Maze and they're trying to get to the Lady."

Everything happened in but an instant. Aria's eyes widened considerably, and Victoria picked up on the menacing edge that seemed to have twisted her face. Then, she shot from her chair, and was already striding quickly towards the exit before Nyx had time to finish. Surprised by her sudden reaction, Fate stood as well just a hair ahead of the others.

"Let's go, Nyx." Ceren called out to her while dropping a few coins on the table for the bill, everyone else already filing out the door. "We haven't a second to lose."

—o—o—o—

"Keep moving." A rough, almost crackling voice commanded as Private Connelly came to a halt at a fork in their path.

While his post at its front gate was an everyday occurrence, it had admittedly been some time since he had actually ventured within the Hedge Maze. The occasional flower would poke out amidst the deep green of said hedges, towering a few feet above his head and forming a seemingly endless sea of corridors both large and small.

"Relax. I'm just trying to remember." He lied calmly, hand finding the stubble on his chin. With his other hand he gestured to the left. The two following figures made no motion for a second, unnerving him slightly, though he breathed a hidden sigh of relief as they eased into motion.

Fairies from every virtual direction scurried about like worker bees, most giving the familiar private a curious eye. None dared to venture close to the cloaks and Connelly could only regret his decision as each winged creature, from the hoary haired elder fairies with rainbow-like iridescence layered over their transparent wings to young plucky sprites, cowered from a healthy distance.

In truth, the Private was at a staunch mental impasse from more than his two shaded followers. Originally his plan from the gate had been relatively simple. Only those strictly familiar with the layout of the maze could have any hope of navigating its reaches, and his position as a gate guard required him to escort any approved visitors. This in turn gave him the knowledge of both the proper path and its winding dead ends; dead ends he intended to exploit. If he could just stall long enough, reinforcements were sure to arrive with Nyx in tow.

However, there was always that O'Ryan factor. At the time he had left, the downed soldier had been bleeding near profusely, and clearly this entire situation was a race against time he lamentably didn't possess. The sword-wielding cloak didn't help matters either. Connelly wasn't sure what the assailant had meant by signal, but he wasn't about to take chances with his partner's life or the life of his Seraph charge. He mentally nodded, steeling his resolve. While not foolproof, his best option was to stall for time, pray O'Ryan could hold on long enough, and hope the two trailing him wouldn't catch on to his ruse.

Time seemed to pass at a slow crawl for him, anxiety as high as the grass underfoot. He cursed mentally, the un-weathered, un-trodden terrain surely a dead giveaway of the area's disuse and by default its falsehood. Thankfully, what seemed a surefire end to his subterfuge went completely unnoticed by the perpetrators, at least from their lack of change in attitude or demeanor. Connelly breathed heavily in relief, then continued on.

Within minutes they reached another intersection, and the guard paused, pretending to remember the correct route. Then, he pointed. "This way."

"Are you sure?" Connelly's eyes widened as the smaller of the two spoke, voice distinctly female and tone questioning. "I could swear we've passed this way before." Without revealing his nervousness, he calmly responded.

"Yes I'm positive. The route is long, so many of the paths will seem familiar."

"No, no. I'm sure we've been in this spot before." If he didn't know any better, the private could almost feel the smirk under her shaded hood. Fear and confusion grew in tandem as she sauntered towards the direction the guard had pointed. Then, she knelt down, and he caught sight of an amethyst-encrusted gold ring on the ground. "See, I dropped my ring here when we passed by earlier." She craned her head back towards him, an undertone of accusation about her. "We must have been going in circles, eh _private_?"

Connelly roared just as she finished, the near-feral roar of desperation, and charged at the female cloak with reckless abandon. There was no longer any hope of further deception, but maybe he could prevent her from giving off whatever signal the shrouded trio had planned.

Before that wish could be realized though, four long arms lashed out just as the man's run began, two of each clenching down on the private's own appendages. The man whipped his head around. The arms were solid bone, protruding from the largest figure's long cloak sleeves with pieces of tattered, white cloth scattered sparingly about and poking out from thin cracks.

The female cloak returned amidst the guardsman's jerking and thrashing, fitting the recovered ring on her now exposed middle finger. As she did so, a strange breeze erupted from beneath her feet, ruffling grass and hedge leaves alike. The puzzling phenomenon, though, was shirked as she walked before him, staring blankly into his defiant eyes.

"I had hoped to locate the hive, though I suppose anywhere within the building is sufficient."

"What do you plan to do?" The man queried. She paused for a moment, then raised her hand into the air and performed a sharp snap.

"You shall see." The other figure tightened his grip further on Connelly's arms, then twisted its whole body into a unstable spin. Mid spin he released the armored warrior, momentum carrying the private through the air and through a thick hedge, crashing into the ground with muffled thud. "You shall all see in due time."

She snapped again, and the figure responded accordingly to whatever hidden message had been communicated. Connelly recovered quickly and peered through the hole. The figure discarded its cloak with a heavy flourish, revealing the oddest sight he had laid eyes on in quite some time.

The arms had previously hinted at it, and the sight confirmed the skeleton's bony disposition. This one, though, was quite different than the other human-sized ones he'd encountered in the past. Apparently it had been quite hunched over, for it now towered at a staggering eight feet, its stature supported by four thick limbs, two to each side. A pair of ball-and-socket joints on either shoulder supported its four lengthy arms, and at its center, a wide bone cage occupied its abdomen area. It was a monstrosity in every sense of the word, and its deafening snarl only supported the idea.

A brief silence followed after that, and the next few moments were hard for Connelly to keep track of, especially as he scrambled towards the beast amidst the pain from his fall. Two of the abomination's arms curled inwards, hooked a few interlinking chest bones, then yanked with all its might. The cage door's swung open, and an unsettling purple glow emanated from within its reaches. At the same time, the female cloaked figure had already begun tracing a complicated purple symbol in the air. The pattern itself was complicated, per say, but more that from what he had seen, it seemed to be a storm sigil.

An _inverted_ storm sigil.

He hadn't the time to analyze the action before her tracing completed and it dissolved into the air. Instantly, there was a reaction from the mutant-skeleton. A violent wind erupted from its feet, leagues more powerful than the other's breeze earlier. The winds climbed and spiraled at the same time. Shrill screams of fairies and their kin resounded throughout the area, though those close enough to witness it could only fight against the winds that eventually consumed them.

Connelly watched as, one by one, the stationary tornado gobbled up fairy and stray leaves alike. Throwing caution away, he charged the engulfing storm head on and, against his primary thought, managed to grab onto one of the creature's arms with minimal effort. What may have easily overpowered the diminutive size of the fairies would be hard pressed at moving his heavy-set physique. He would have mental note to thank Bartleby or whichever proper deity for that later.

Now, however, the situation was growing more problematic. His eyes narrowed to protect against the whipping winds inside, but he could see that the captured fairies were being forced into the monster's cage, a number only growing by the moment.

He opened his mouth to yell, pushing away the creature's arm, when a jolt of electricity ripped through his spine. Body, now temporarily unresponsive, crumpled to the ground and his eyes rolled back in his head, though not before catching the shrouded female's index finger pointed towards him out of his periphery.

As his large frame twitched from the dancing electric impulses about him, she strolled over to him. "A noble effort, but unfruitful neverless." She glanced over to the large skeleton, whose abdomen cage neared half capacity. "Fill your cage quickly. We have spent too much time here as it is."

"Yes, you have."

The figure whipped around to what she perceived was the origin of the voice, revealing a sight she had not yet anticipated. There stood a woman; pristine, beautiful, and without physical flaw on her porcelain skin or golden hair. Her sleeveless white robe cascade down her petite frame, end hovering just above her ankles and midsection tied together by a forest green rope. A medieval sword rested in her palm, luminescent silver hilt a stark contrast to the solid brown scabbard.

_Protector of the Unicorn Way fairies: High Seraphim Oriel Vesperania _

The Lady took a step forwards, continuing while two ivory wings flared out from her back, sending a small gust in their wake that ruffled the fauna nearby. "You have spent far too much time here, and I would have you release my children and depart before you desecrate anymore of this sacred ground."

"Still as imposing as ever, Oriel." Initially caught off guard, the figure finally regained her composure and managed a grimace, albeit still hidden from her hood's shadow. The seraph could just hear the variations in her whispering before she raised her arm, pale hand sprouting from her cloak. A pitch black light, swathes of navy blue hidden in its deepest reaches, absorbed her palm from her fingertips to her wrist, menacing tendrils waving around from the edges. Then, she thrust that palm forward. A rift even darker than the light spread out from that spot like rippling water, the sound of swirling winds emanating from within. "Very well. I shall take my leave then."

The moment Oriel laid eyes on the mysterious portal, her voice took on an ominous edge, and she nearly hissed out as her hand flew to the sword handle. "You will release my children, _witch_."

"I think not." She pointed her other hand towards Connelly's unconscious body, sparks cutting small arcs through the air before it. "One move and I'll eliminate every trace of him."

The motion effectively halted the woman, and she eased out of her combative stance. A lingering tenseness reigned about them, the cries of captured fairies failing to bring the angelic being to tears, however close they progressed. Seconds seemed like minutes in the standstill, and finally bestial skeleton's absorption ceased, winds shrinking until a final small breeze petered out into nothingness. A low rumble escaped its mouth, almost like some ethereal belch, and upon orders it stooped under the gloomy portal's apex on its way through.

Despite the impassiveness of her current visage, Oriel could barely check the unbridled fury welling up within. Even then, she managed a calm, controlled question. "What do you plan to do with them?"

The figure didn't answer that question. She simply stared blankly at the seraph, then stepped in through the portal after the skeleton. The rift closed with a hushed wisp, enshrouding darkness fading the colorless air from before replaced it. At that moment, time seemed to return to Oriel's senses. The bird's high aloft the ceiling uttered out their cheery calls, while fairies themselves swooped down to ascertain the situation or mourn the loss of relatives and comrades.

Oriel cast a sidelong glance at Connelly, who had just awoken upon the enemy's retreat. Tears welled up at the side of his eyes, pupils trained on her form and voice shaky. "I'm…I'm sorry, milady."

She said nothing, and made not a sound. To her, there was truly nothing to be said. Instead, she turned her gaze towards the ceiling, flawless face basking in the sunlight filtering down through skylights. Then, after shooing away the fairies checking up on her, she allowed herself one small tear as she made her way towards the entrance.

—o—o—o—

O'Ryan let out a strained cough, doing his best to hold onto the large gash at his midsection and his ever-fleeting sense of consciousness. Only the blood flowing from his stomach managed to fight off the cold enveloping all of his body. Color and sound began to gently fade from the world around him until green devolved into lifeless gray and voices, muffled hums at best.

Several of the hums, he could hear from a fair distance, coupled with the tender padding of moving feet on the flagstones. Try as he might though to interpret, a vague sense of spinning swathed him, followed only by another wave of agony. Throughout this a voice particularly close to him, the cloaked scimitar wielder, seemed to be speaking across the way, for he no longer looked on him.

"More visitors, eh?" He wondered aloud, fingering the curved blade in his bony hand.

A good ten meters away, a girl with flaming red hair and vibrant green eyes came into his view, her steps more akin to a feral prowl than a human's stride. Behind her a little ways, five more figures of similar shape trotted up, stopping next to her as she herself halted only a few meters from him. The six teens formed a crude horizontal line, and each became wary as they noticed the hooded man's sword, not to mention the bleeding body lying near his feet.

"Our apologies, but the Hedge Maze is closed for…_renovations_." His joking voice held an eerie scratching quality, and the rattling springing from underneath his tattered garments sent a silent chill through Ty and Fate. "I'll have you leave now."

"What did you do to Private O'Ryan?" Ceren questioned firmly.

Each of them could nearly feel a malicious grin from under his hood as he spoke, simultaneously pointing his blade towards the guard's direction. "As I said, we are having renovations. It did us well to clear the area of any _troublemakers_."

A dangerous silence followed after his statement. Victoria by chance laid eyes on Aria, her face now much calmer than it had been on the journey here. Serene, even, and it didn't make a bit of sense to the blonde. Then, the redhead stepped forward, speaking as calmly as she now looked.

"Ceren, this is a lot to ask, but do your best to get O'Ryan to a stable state." The Theurgist simply nodded, not taking the time to question her judgment. Aria nodded in thanks, then placed a hand to her sitar strap, shifting the instrument around so that it rested horizontally at her front. At that moment, when her fingers touched the cool metal strings, her voice remained unchanged but gained that same menacing edge from before. "I'll clear the way for you."

"Oh, you will? I hope you have a decent plan." He chuckled darkly; hand reaching up to his hood and ripping it back. The head of a skeletal soldier rested in its place, again unnerving and confirming Ty and Fate's fears. The skeleton brought up its free hand and gestured to where its ears would lay. "My vessel isn't much of a music fan."

"Is that so?" Left hand holding the sitar neck, her other palm moved to a side pouch hanging from the belts around her waist and procured a seed; a simple kernel no larger than her pinky nail. "That's too bad."

She relaxed her hand, and the seed plummeted to the ground near her feet. As it did, a glowing orb of energy materialized, floating a few inches from her right shoulder with another one already in the process of forming. Unlike the ones he had seen in his match against Nolan, this pip was odd to Fate. Its golden color seemed to give off a more energetic, wild presence, like it was barely containing the energies stored within. He wanted to assume it was some aesthetic characteristic of hers, though the second pip was normal enough, bringing either further confusion to his mind.

"I would choose carefully." The skeleton suggested, stepping back and bringing his scimitar to rest just above O'Ryan's neck once more. "I can easily end his life at a whim."

In response, she said nothing, and neither did anyone else. Instead, she began to pluck the strings of her sitar in a relaxing rhythm. A green spell sign began to trace itself in the air, its curves and corners following the varying tempos and changes of her notes. Her attention was completely focused on her music, so much that she didn't look up as the bone warrior spoke.

"For a Theurgist, you sure are callous about other's lives." He brought his sword up high above his head, then in one swift motion brought it down with all his might.

Two things happened at that moment, amidst the others' shouts of protest. First, the cobblestone next to O'Ryan broke apart, spewing a small cloud of dust. A gnarled, wooden root climbed through the resulting cracks at an astounding speed, catching the undead's sword between its budding branches. Then taking advantage of his hesitation, it winded its way up the blade length like a snake before coiling around his upper arm.

"What is this?" The skeleton tugged to no avail, joints creaking all the while.

"I get it." Ceren remarked with a smirk, beginning his explanation as Aria's music triggered the second occurrence. "With the neighborhood's close proximity to Ravenwood, many of Bartleby's roots course through the soil here. And where there are roots, a capable Theurgist can become a formidable opponent."

As he talked, the seed she had dropped earlier cracked open, minuscule root stubs crawling into the paved pathway at an unbelievable rate. Within seconds, a rough, somewhat thin tree stump emerged, climbing at least ten feet in air. Then, crackling preceded the sound of snapping bark, branches formed appendages soon after, and Ty, Tala, and Victoria quickly recognized the form of the treant, reminded of their previous encounter and thankful that this one seemed much more subdued.

"You're skilled." The skeleton admitted, voice now accepting rather than fearful, even as the treant took heavy steps towards him. "What's your name, girl?"

"Aria of the Wood." She responded, playing ceasing and eyes unflinching. "Remember it if you wish."

The skeleton's head inclined upwards, the treant now standing fully over him, looking down with fearless yellow eyes. It reared back its gangly arm while spreading its stance to lower its towering body and as it brought its claws around in one powerful sweep, a chuckle betrayed the skeleton's constant impassive demeanor of its bone structure.

"Yeah. I think I will."

At that moment, its body was torn asunder; rib cage, arms, and neck torn completely from the main body, leaving only a legged stump of a spinal cord. The split bones crashed into the side of a nearby tree, ricocheting off and landing in surrounding bushes.

Ceren immediately began a jog to O'Ryan, who looked as though he were on his last thread. With the assailant vanquished, the numerous fairies seeking shelter before quickly rushed to the private's side, like swarms of butterflies perching on a meadow log, prepared to assist the initiate Theurgist however they could.

"Take good care of him, Ceren." Aria spoke, earning a positive nod from the male in question. Her snap gained the attention of the treant, wooden body still hanging over the skeleton's separated legs. When she could hear it shuffling over to her, she faced towards the maze doors and began her own trek in their direction. "I'll finish off whoever's left in the maze."

As she got the words out, however, those same doors eased open, and a white-clad blonde stepped through, a hint of sadness hidden behind her warm visage. Aria's eyes widened considerably, and her breath caught in her throat. The others looked on as each female approached the other, the Theurgist with a faster walk than her counterpart.

The redhead met Oriel with a powerful embrace, catching the seraph off guard before her surprise died down into a more reserved smile. Victoria thought the scene strangely reminiscent of a lost mother and child reuniting, the way the angel ran her fingers through the girl's hair. She wasn't quite aware of what had caused a twinge of sorrow to run through her at that time, and neither was she aware of that same feeling dispersing in Ty and Tala in unison with hers.

"I am alright, child." Oriel soothed, giving the girl one last pat on the back before the two separated. "I cannot say the same for your sisters. I was powerless to stop their capture."

"Lady Oriel." Ty spoke, clearing his throat as everyone else save Ceren stepped towards her. The woman brought eyes around to the Diviner, then later the sealed envelope caught between his thumb and fingers.

"You must be Ambrose's group." She spoke, lips curved into an apologetic smile. "You come at a rather unfortunate time, as you have already discovered." Her gaze fell upon Aria once more. "Please if you would Aria, assist Ceren with Private O'Ryan. I've sent a few fairies to let the medical corps know of the incident."

"What about us?" Tala queried.

"You four may follow me. Once the situation has calmed a bit more, we will discuss your reasons for coming here."

With a simultaneous nod, the young quartet followed the Seraph back towards the door with no particular uniformity. Fate gazed around at the scenery around him. Aria, who had already heeded Oriel's call and begun on assisting Ceren, held a solemn look on her face as she assessed the bleeding private. The treant she had summoned previously stood in place, unmoving as the spells subsided and its bark decomposed into dust particles blown away by whatever wind passed by. Fairies here held none of the joyous exuberance he had witnessed before; here only a tragic quiet loomed over them. Though nothing had physically changed, even the landscape itself had seemed to lose its original luster.

Fate clenched his fist as he passed through the gate doors, a sort of helplessness welling up inside him. A helplessness he hoped in time would change, so that he might be able to put a stop to whatever, or whoever, was behind all this.

* * *

**(Author's Notes)**

And here we are. I really wanted to finish this arc in one chapter, and I pray it was enjoyable. Since I'd like to just post this and go to bed (work in the morning), I'll re-edit any mistakes I find at a later date.

Until next time!


	7. Synthesis

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

"You're late, Sasha."

The hooded figure stopped dead in her tracks, angling her head to the left where she'd believed the voice had originated from.

The crescent moon shining down through clouds did little to illuminate the murky alleyway the duo stood in, but it was enough for them to at least recognize each other. A man with a hood of his own leaned his back against a brick wall, hands nestled comfortably in the pockets of his solid black coat. Beside him, an animated skeletal soldier stood erect, its dangling scimitar reflecting moonlight with each pass through the light's path.

"I didn't have time to search for your minion." She seemed somewhat defensive at the man's questioning words, proving more evident as she lowered the hood shrouding her face. The dark skin of her face framed green eyes, above which sat a shock of shoulder length black hair. "There wasn't much I could do against Oriel."

"Understandable." He conceded. "So did it work?"

"Yes." She stated after a lengthy pause, almost unwilling to give him an answer. "The witches have acknowledged your gift and wish to speak with you."

She could almost feel his dark smirk underneath his hood. Then, he turned away from her and began to walk down the alleyway's other end. "Very well. I trust you'll come find me when the time comes."

His skeletal soldier ambled after him, muttering some incoherent jargon, as if complaining under its breath. Sasha remained there for some time, watching his retreating form, not quite sure what to make of him.

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Seventh Pip: Synthesis**

* * *

Warm sunlight cascaded down through the upper windows of the General Studies Gymnasium, casting its glow off the beige walls and the rubber padded, reddish-brown floor. A myriad of supplies lay stacked on shelves and in canisters on various points of the walls, from weighted staves for dexterity practice to aerobic exercise staples like jump ropes and kettle bells.

More numerous than these, however, were the echoing grunts and pants of the people occupying the building, all swathed in exercise outfits consisting of a dark red stained shorts and a simple white cotton shirt with the Ravenwood school emblem just above the right pectoral. One of note, Victoria Flaresong, would give intermittent glances around the gym after every two to three crunches she performed.

At the middle stood the majestic form of their current instructor, a bipedal horse whose fine black hairs contrasted against the solid white of his mane and tail. A faded red dueling jacket held together at the bottom by a wide belt overlay his broad shoulders, sleeves running down into padded gloves. From the belt protruded a hilt, its gold no doubt tarnished from years of use, before ending in the thin pointed tip customary for rapiers.

_Ravenwood Head Duel Instructor: "Duelmaster" Diego Santiago Quariquez_

Sporadic snorts and neighs escaped his maw between barking out orders at the various groups the class had been divided into. Off on the far side, Victoria could see Fate, Tala, and a few of the other boys muster up whatever energy they had to continue their laps. The girls had taken the inner portion of the floor, performing jumping jacks, pushups, and other stationary exercises.

She was particularly thankful that news of the happening over at the Hedge Maze had been effectively silenced and covered up. Not that she had any definite proof, but the fact that gossip hadn't been swarming around the school like a plague by now was enough to evidence that no one had gotten wind of it. A sad truth, she noted, but a truth in and of itself.

There was one, however, who had been unceremoniously introduced into their secret circle of mysteries, though more by necessity than willingness from either party.

_Victoria, Ty, Tala, and Fate all stuck close behind Lady Oriel as they navigated the towering hedges of the maze's interior, the latter who had long since withdrawn her snow white angelic wings in favor of walking alongside the group. Fairies of all sizes and hues gathered around their matriarch as she walked. Some weeped for the losses of kin and friends while others demanded some sort of retaliation, but all together created a beautiful swathe of color around the ivory-draped Seraphim which caught the attention of the four adolescents. The angel herself did her best to console the miniature beings while keeping on course for her current task. _

_Ty and Tala took the very front of their disorderly line, behind only their golden blonde escort, keeping an eye out for any surprises the assailants may have left lying around. At the rear, Victoria and Fate moved side by side in complete silence, other than their footsteps against the grass. She would glance at the dark haired boy every now and then, but his attention seemed to be fixed on the ground beneath and a solemn expression capturing his features. She wasn't quite sure what had caused his sudden change in behavior, but whatever it was, it had been quite effective in trouncing his spirits. _

_Their route continued on for another fifteen minutes, haste not required at the moment but the children's patience wearing thin nevertheless. It soon vanished, however, as they came upon the very center of the maze, its emerald light filling the hedge-borne corridors even before they even laid eyes on it. _

_A wide moat surrounded the perimeter of the towering structure, its awe-inspiring form more akin to a bee hive than anything else, the ceiling having to arch upwards just to accommodate its impressive height. Brown wooden plates like scales formed a shell around it, various holes littered throughout to provide passage within and a warm green glow filtering out through every open point. A critical mass of fairies moved about the space like worker bees, stopping at the flowering trees and shrubbery which encompassed the moat or just playing a rousing game of chase through the surrounding air. _

"_The birthplace of all fairies in Wizard City. The Hive." Lady Oriel stated serenely, momentarily abandoning her previous gloom and having led them to a seating area comprised of a six tree stumps just before the moat. "Magnificent, isn't it?" As they marveled, she motioned for them to take their seats._

_Tala was the last to sit, but the first to speak. "Is this what they were after?" _

"_Most likely." She nodded, a blue sprite lowering itself to sit on her shoulder. "Other than my children, it is the only thing of any real value in our sanctuary." _

"_What would they want with all those fairies though?"_

_The Seraph could only reply with a disconcerting look and a shrug of her shoulders, Tala now regretting prodding too far too soon on the subject. An awkward, yet thankfully momentary silence followed, ending as Ty stood to his feet to hand deliver the letter to the golden haired woman. _

_She nodded while thanking him as her porcelain hands gripped the envelope, fingers going to work on the seal as the boy returned to his seat. The four teens watched her face, as well as the faces of those fairies gathered around, gradually morph from their impassive tone. Oriel's remained more subdued, calmly analyzing the contents. The fairies, however, could not help but contain their excitement and quickly rushed over to Fate, catching the boy off guard with their prodding and awestruck expressions. Victoria couldn't help but giggle to herself, the tiny beings antics having, even if just for the moment, alleviated the pained expression of her charge. _

_Eventually, Oriel finished her task, head coming up from the text with a reserved smile, perhaps exuberant for her standards. Even in unbridled joy, Seraphs never seemed to let up their composed front. _

"_It is an honor to be in your presence, Exseed." She stood to her feet, bowing her head in Fate's direction. "Forgive me for any previous indiscretion. I had not presumed your arrival so early."_

_Fate wanted to question what she had meant by that, indicative by his curt raised eyebrow, but he discarded the notion in favor of returning her gesture. "Likewise, Lady Oriel."_

_After recognizing him, her eyes returned to the letter, but she projected her voice to the four. "As for the Headmaster's request…this kind of procedure requires an astounding amount of magical control and supply. There was one being among us who held both these qualities at one point, but she is no longer among the living, and unfortunately my current form can provide neither of these."_

"_What!" Victoria queried, face stricken with disbelief. "But we-"_

"_Patience, my child. Allow me to finish." A small smirk came to her face. "The ritual itself would be impossible to complete in full, but there may still be something we can do."_

"Alright, that's enough of a warm up. Gather around, children."

Diego's commanding voice effectively broke Victoria from her recollection, her body unconsciously snapping up like being awoken from a dream. Glancing around, she noticed that the other girls around her had rose to their feet and were beginning the trek towards the instructor, a task she joined them on momentarily. She easily wormed her way through the assembled pack to find Fate and Tala. A fine sheen of sweat layering both boys' skin, but their breathing had since calmed down to normal silent levels.

The muscular stallion surveyed the mass, verbally ushering them to form at least some sort of organized group before going on to instruct, pacing back and forth like a drill sergeant. "Now that all of you have finished conditioning for the day, it's time we begin. I being the head duel instructor am not much of the…intellectual type. I prefer a hands-on approach, and in following that today's lesson will be all practical application."

He paused for dramatic effect, something the students had already become desensitized to with him. However, their attention was soon wrenched back in full as a near miniscule amount of concentration on his part brought to life a single glowing orb of energy. All eyes studied the ball of light with wonderment.

Diego eyed the creation himself, continuing on. "As you may know from your lectures, our magical energy is supplied by the Grandfather Tree himself, permeating every last nook and cranny of the spiral. However, that energy is too loose and free for us to harness effectively." He raised one of his fingers up, and the beginnings of a second pip began to gather on the tip of his index. "By focusing the mana within, you can 'collect' the stagnant energy hanging in the air into a more compact form. This form, my dear pupils, is a pip, and today you will be creating your own."

On further directions the students put space between them, making sure others were at least a good five feet away if not more. Improperly contained pips, Diego warned, could become volatile at a moment's notice. The mare's promise to contain any mishaps, though, did little to dissuade Fate's increasing apprehension.

Not quite sure where to start even after the instructor's quick review of the steps, Fate's eyes roamed around the room, looking for anything or anyone to garner help from. His pupils stopped first on the blue-haired Anna Flamewright, face scrunched and eyebrows furrowed in some play at concentration. Her feet spread apart, what looked to be the initial stage of a pip began twisting inward a few inches above her palm, but attempt after attempt would doom it to dissipation within seconds.

Realizing he'd have no luck from her, his gaze soon fell upon Victoria at the same time as she returned the favor. Both students locked eyes for one another, their orbs displaying some less than subtle message of confusion, causing both to smile awkwardly before turning away.

As the two did so, Diego's ecstatic voice ran out over the gymnasium. "Oh ho. It seems like we have two naturals among us."

Heads turned to find the familiar forms of Tala Mythhammer and the brown-haired Sabrina Greenstar, the former glancing off to the distance as the shining orb formed at his side and the latter nearly juggling her perfectly formed one with a playful smile. It was only after a few long moments that the two successes noticed their garnered attention, returning with innocent confused looks of their own.

"Tala how did you do that already?" Susie Gryphonbane asked in an exasperated whisper, speaking on everyone's behalf. The boy pondered for a moment, then simply shrugged.

"I just watched Diego, then did what he did."

"…He's only done it once."

"I don't see where you're going with this."

Quiet, one or two sighs, then the entirety of their attention moved to Sabrina, everyone silently agreeing that he was going to be no help at all. "What about you?"

"Oh, little old me? Well I just imagined a sparklin' pearl like that one I saw at Gustav Jewelers the other day. Then I looked down and this here pip was right there in my hand."

"…That's it?"

"Well, no. I thought up some fairies too. Mighty generous folk, they are. And I was riding one of them unicorns."

More silence, then an increased amount of sulking. The ditz would be of no help either. Admittedly some of the girl's began to cycle through different images of unicorns, fairies, and pearls in hopes of sparking something, but to no avail.

"Miss Sabrina may have a…unique way of going about this, but she's onto something." Diego's head turned to the girl while he spoke, then he chuckled under his breath. "It's been said by many a teacher and advanced student that visualization is a key component in any magic. Try seeing what works for you."

The students dispersed once more, each spreading into his or her own preferred stance while Diego gathered the two successful students for further instruction. The minutes passed slowly but surely, and one after another a student would finally be able to contain a single pip and join the crowd over by the instructor.

Victoria, however, began to inwardly panic as those around her achieved a breakthrough. She wiped the sweat from her brow, settled back down into her preferred stance, closed her eyes, and began to let her mind wander once more.

In truth, she wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to be thinking of, even as the time drew on past her recollection. Something she enjoyed? Something she would like to have? Diego's visualization explanation was too vague for her tastes. She glanced back over at the success group, noticing how large it had gotten over the past twenty minutes, before setting sights on Sabrina again. Victoria admittedly didn't know her too well; they'd only had passing conversations at best. What she did know was her fascination with princesses and their ilk. Perhaps all she had to do was think on things she enjoyed.

A minute of pondering passed, and nothing concrete came to her mind, causing her to rub her temples in beginning frustration while passing through every possible thing she could think of. Was there really nothing that grabbed her enough to—

Her hand shot back, on instinct more than anything else, just as the exploding force of an unstable pip sent her careening backwards onto her backside, its booming pop resounding through the area. She was still shaking seconds after the event as Diego and a few curious others closed in.

"Are you okay, child?" She nodded at his question, finally regaining her bearings. "What happened?"

"I was just thinking of something to help me visualize. Next thing I know my pip explodes and—"

"I know, I know. Calm yourself, my dear." His voice was low and compassionate, before morphing into a gentle chide. "At this early a stage, though, you must keep constant focus. Even a little wandering of the mind can prove disastrous."

She nodded in understanding. Tala and Fate each grabbed an arm and helped her to her feet, more courtesy than necessity. The small crowd soon dispersed into their prior groups, most following Diego back to the center of the gym while others found spacious spots and continued practicing. Tala and Fate remained with Victoria though and decided to find their own spot in the most secluded reaches of the gym, surprisingly only a stone's throw away from the main entrance.

"Don't worry. Fate couldn't manage one either." Tala stated, any notion of superiority absent in his voice. "I'll help you two out as best I can."

"Wait. Fate couldn't do it?"

"Is that strange?" The boy himself couldn't help adopt a mildly defensive tone.

"Well…sort of. Maybe. I don't know. I just assumed that since you're…" She forcibly quieted her voice to limit earshot before picking back up. "Since you're the Exseed and all, I figured it wouldn't be hard."

He blinked a few times at that, his mouth opening as if to speak before retreating back to a closed position. Now that he had time to think about it himself, he supposed it did seem rather odd. He hadn't actually had to use pips in his duel with Nolan the other day. The wand had done all the technical work, even if he hadn't managed to get a single spell off.

Before he had time to study the anomaly any longer, Tala's head swiftly perked up, and his eyes seemed to widen in horror. "Wait…Exseed! Wasn't there something important today!"

Victoria and Fate blinked. Realization hit simultaneously, like something akin to a Cyclops' hammer.

—o—o—o—o—

"Well, someone's late." A sarcasm-laced, male voice stated bemusedly Victoria, Tala, and Ty eased the rough wooden door open and stepped into the warm environment of Headmaster Ambrose's high-ceilinged room.

The origin of the voice proved to be the memorable form of Ty Stormwhisper, the unruly mop of brown hair atop his head framing the deep purple hue of his mirth-filled eyes. A second familiar form stood beside him, still fresh on their minds from their encounters over the weekend. Aria leaned casually against the wall, serenely plucking the strings on her sitar as if nothing else in the room mattered, or was even there for that matter.

"Yeah, yeah, don't remind us." Victoria muttered, causing the boy to snigger under his breath.

As the group filed into the room, they gained a more accurate picture of the space, the first visit for all three freshmen. Bookcases, climbing to base of the arching ceiling above and filled to the brim with reading materials and small props, dominated both the left and right walls. The divided panes of the large show window comprised most of the remaining far wall's surface area. Below, polished wood floors shone as if they had just been installed, positioned below faded expertly woven floor rugs. Four padded armchairs stood facing the main desk; a hand carved oaken wonder easily the length and width of a queen-sized bed.

Behind it, a withered jolly old man sat, deep purple robes flowing down past the desk's allowed line of sight. A number of documents and papers moved about of their own accord, three quill pens working in tandem to keep up with their makeshift assembly line. He glanced at Ty before leveling a grin at the trio. "Absence is far worse than tardiness, young Diviner. I trust you all ready?"

All heads nodded except for Aria, who simply assumed the question wasn't directed at her. Ambrose proceeded with a nod of his own, then stood from his desk. His robes billowed behind him as he made his way towards the center of the room to meet them. Then he inclined both his head and gaze towards Aria, who hesitantly but inevitably obeyed the following 'come' gesture.

As she walked, she voiced her pent up thoughts and concerns. "Headmaster you still haven't told me what is going on or why I'm here."

Instead of answering, the aged wizard turned to Fate, and they both locked eyes. The boy quickly understood that it was his turn to speak, and he forced a clearing cough before looking her in the eyes.

"Aria, I have something to explain to you." He paused, fidgeting slightly while gathering his courage. Finally, he breathed again, the continued. "I'm sure you know the legends of the Exseed." She nodded. "I…I am that Exseed."

At first, she said nothing. Her face was completely placid and without change for over ten seconds. Then a small giggle, the first she'd expelled in front of them, escaped her mouth and she did her best to cover it. While she contained herself, Fate glanced around to see awkward fidgeting from his friends behind him. They were clearly as uncomfortable as he was. She settled down soon enough, then studied the sound coming from him for a moment before her own eyes widened.

"Wait. You were serious?"

"Yes." He unconsciously scratched the back of his head, looking away. "I am."

"Oh, I'm sorry Fate." She consoled, embarrassed at her uncouth reaction. "I really thought you were joking. I mean the legends say the Exseed is supposed to be an adult after all." No one noticed Ambrose's eyes avert, and Tala, Ty, and Victoria shifted ever so subtly. She shook her head, rubbing her temples for a moment before returning her gaze and attention to the conversation. "Alright, so what does that have to do with me?"

At this point, Ambrose cleared his throat and interjected on the boy's behalf. "You hold the ability to see the sound in all things, correct?" She nodded, albeit slowly. The purple robed man trotted to the back of his desk, tugged on a drawer handle, and retrieved a cloudy, beige crystal about the size of his withered palm. As he returned, Victoria noticed it didn't look all unlike the crystal Fate had emerged from. "What do you make of this jewel? What do you hear?"

Her fingers found a way to her chin, and her eyes narrowed into studious slits. Then, out of nowhere they popped back open, and she spun around to look at Fate. "It sounds… just like Fate."

"Indeed." He placed the shard in her hand. "This piece is a fraction of the seed Fate emerged from, and a portion of Fate himself. I sent these four to speak with Oriel, hoping her extensive knowledge of Life Magic would know the way to recombine the jewel and his body. The answer I received was you, Aria Nightingale."

It was at that point that the girl finally noticed everyone's attention converging on her position, sending an unnerving feeling up her spine. She glanced around at the faces, most hopeful that she held the answer they sought and a few apologetic for thrusting so much pressure upon her in so little a span of time and explanation. She was thankful for the latter. Releasing a sigh, she spoke, closing her eyes.

"The shard. Both it and Fate share the same sound, so I should be able to fuse them together. The jewel is…dormant though, from what I can hear. I can't promise anything will change." Ambrose nodded, accepting her prognosis, as did everyone else eventually. With that, she turned to Fate and locked eyes with him as she approached. The boy swallowed down a gulp as she stopped just in front of him, and in the most even, straight-faced voice she could muster, she commanded. "Take your shirt off."

Victoria blinked, seemingly for the umpteenth time that day.

"Excuse me?"

"What? Should I fuse it into his gym clothes instead?" She joked, a smile appearing to lighten the mood. Victoria could not assemble a suitable answer throughout her stuttering, and so instead went completely quiet, face attempting to challenge a tomato as Fate nonchalantly did what was required of him. She turned around as it came completely off, and Tala and Ty gave each other near sinister grins.

Aria and Fate had become completely oblivious to everything around them at this point, particularly Ty whispering something indiscernible into Victoria's ear, her face growing even redder against all odds before slapping the Storm wizard across his cheek, causing Tala to chuckle under his breath. The trio's attention soon returned to the main event as a small gust whipped up at their feet, an odd phenomenon in the middle of a closed room. A green glow surrounded her form over time, right hand propping up the shard so that it pressed against his pectoral, and that same glow began to crawl over onto his skin at well. The green glow began to creep onto the floor below them and waft into the air above; the children regarding it with confusion and the Headmaster with delight.

Seeing Aria's eyes completely shut and muttering something inaudible, and really just not knowing what else to do, Fate closed his emerald orbs as well and waited for whatever was coming. Eventually, her eyes snapped back open swiftly, and her straightened arm pushed forward. The jewel, at first merely resting against his skin, began to slip inwards like slowly forcing through surface tension. Immediately Fate's head reared back and his mouth opened in a scream, but not a single sound emerged; only the warm hum of the glow magic and the wind at their feet made noise.

She continued pushing, visible pain increasing in tandem with the submersion level of the jewel. By now the area around the shard was glowing such a bright green that it was nearing white and it was impossible for any of them to stare at it for too long. She kept going, though, even against his thrashing protests. There was no saying what could happen to him if she quit now.

After an eternity for the two and just a few minutes for the four around them, the shard disappeared into the reaches of his body, and the light cut off within the second. Aria's hand pulled back, and she dropped to her knees sweating as Fate's body crumpled under its own weight. Tala and Fate rushed to catch him while Victoria offered an arm for Aria to pull herself back to her feet. She immediately moved to Fate and scanned his body for any abnormalities.

"Breathing is good, heart rate, circulation." Victoria and Ambrose gathered around, peering over her shoulder to look upon him. Nothing had changed like she'd said, visibly anyway. At length, though, she smiled warmly and looked up from his body. "He should be just fine."

All released breaths they didn't know they were holding save for Ambrose, who formed a thin grin within his beard. Fate regained his senses soon after and gestured for the two boys propping him up to release him. He ran through a superficial test of his basic motor functions—flexing arm muscles, stepping forwards and backwards, turning his head—and was both happy and confused to see everything in the same working order. "I don't feel any different at all."

"I figured that would happen." Aria admitted, cleaning off the remaining beads of sweat from her form. "I only had the skill to synthesize it into you. The crystal is still dormant, and how it works is way out of my league."

"Further study will undoubtedly be required on my part." Ambrose admitted. "You have done a splendid job otherwise, Ms. Nightingale." She bowed her head in genuine thanks, and he turned his attention to Fate, who had just finished checking himself for changes. "You have taken your first step, Fate. All of you have truthfully; but understand that there is no telling where this path may lead. I ask you again, each of you…are you willing to follow this to the end?"

At first, no one spoke. Then Fate took a step forwards, and Ambrose couldn't help but secretly marvel at the newfound determination within the boy's eyes. "Yes." The tanned male turned to the three comrades behind him, watching as each gave their own answers.

"Absolutely."

"Of course."

"Sure. I could use a bit of excitement."

Lastly, he shifted his attention a final time to Aria, who stared back at him with an equal though non-malicious intensity. Without saying anything, just by the subtlest fluctuations of his sound, she could tell he wasn't as sure of her answer as he'd been with his three friends, and rightly so. Unintentionally or not, they had gotten her wrapped up in something she did not yet understand, and if the Headmaster's earlier speech was any indication, it wasn't exactly safe.

Still, for some reason she couldn't explain, she felt some sort of peace as she approached him, stopped just a few feet before, and extended her hand.

"Aria of the Wood, at your service."

Fate's uncertain demeanor immediately morphed into a sheepish grin, one he did not even try to mask. Soon the other three were upon her as well, shaking her hand or giving congratulatory hugs; unknown to her, simply just excited to have gained someone else they could rely on, someone else they could trust.

On Ambrose's timely reminder, Fate, Tala, and Victoria the other three farewell and quickly headed off for the General Studies gymnasium, hoping to catch the last few minutes of class. As the door softly closed behind them, a comfortable silence lie in their absence's wake, no one making a move just yet. Soon, Ty opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Aria's voice before he could even get a word out.

"The Exseed, huh? I knew he sounded different."

She sauntered over to the large show window behind the Headmaster's desk, Ty and Ambrose's eyes locked incredulously upon her form. She leaned forward and placed her hands against the window banister to prop up her torso. Peering out the window, she could just make out Victoria, Tala, and Fate's forms dashing off across campus, shielded from the blaring sunlight by the towering branches of the Grandfather Tree.

"Different?" Ambrose playfully coaxed her to explain, already aware of the answer.

She gave that tree a quick look, then returned to Fate, whose smile had not left him since he exited the room. A second smile found a way to her face as well.

"Yeah. It's such a beautiful sound."

* * *

**(Author's Notes)**

The wait was terrible for this one, and I apologize to anyone still reading. Mostly a setup chapter. Have to build up the story before I get to the really good stuff I have in store.

Also, hope my pip explanation was decent. I completely eliminated the card system. It works in game, but strangely not in a story.

Until next time!


	8. The Golden Watcher

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

Sleep never came easily for Tala Mythhammer.

He didn't much understand it himself, really. There wasn't much cause to prevent him from it. Nothing horrendous or stressful, to his knowledge, had ever really happened to him. No tragic deaths, no bouts of inferiority or self-pity. When he'd lie down for the night, his eyes simply would not find good reason to close. His mind was continually running, all the time. Events that happened at school, all this Exseed business. At this time, in the twilight hours of the morning, he would analyze and pick apart anything and everything, and fatigue could never find enough sway to overtake his body.

He pushed the blankets and overlapping sheets covering him down to his waist to allow the cold air of the room to touch his skin. Then, his head lazily rolled to the side, eyes finding the magical analog clock on his brick wall, which read 5:46 a.m. School would start in a little bit over an hour, where he'd go through the usual routine of classes, lunch, more classes and finally home to finish of the day, hopefully getting some sleep in between his usual bouts of restlessness.

Just a normal day, he mused, attempting to sit up in his bed but not finding the strength to finish. As he had given up, though, a soft rapping beat out upon his bedroom door. Well, soft wasn't the operative word. Rather, it was soft compared to what he was used to, a knock that forged cracks and rattled hinges to ruin, and the deep near booming voice that always followed.

"Wake up, Tala. I picked up breakfast on my way back this morning."

The voice left as quickly as it had came, and the boy's body tapped into a well of strength it hadn't known was there, overflowing from the promise of a hearty meal to start the day.

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Eighth Pip: The Golden Watcher**

* * *

The rhythmic ticks of the clock on the far wall resounded throughout the classroom at intervals, enhanced in part due to the relative silence that had fallen over all its occupants. Just beneath the pervading noise, the scribbling of quill pens filed into the background, a mere forethought in each of the Runewarden freshmen class students. Each one was much too focused on the test before them, along with the dangerous ramifications of performing poorly on it.

"_Alright, let's see…question thirty_…" Victoria Flaresong wondered inwardly as she raised her test copy to get a closer look. She was one of the few who was not worried. She'd studied, reviewed, and studied again, and she understood like no one else that worrying during the test was prone to bring mistakes. "_The enlightened prophet who has become the cornerstone of Mooshu's faith and practice…easy. Moodha._"

With a satisfied sigh and smile, she leaned back, setting the paper face down on her rough wooden desk and her quill pen in the small vial of ink at the top right corner. As she did so, Cyrus Drake, positioned behind his desk at the head of the classroom, looked up from his stack of notes and papers to identify the source of the small noise. He gave her a huff and upturned lip, then returned to his work. She rolled her eyes, but took no offense from the action, having long since learned that was the Professor's signature, if not only, method of recognizing someone.

From there, her eyes wandered to the clock, taking note of the ample time she had left before the test's time limit. Deciding she had nothing else to do, she leaned forward and propped her elbows onto the desk, surveying the room out of a weak curiosity.

To her right sat Fate, curiously eying the paper and making admittedly amusing faces as he attempted to decipher the correct answers. Victoria couldn't help but stifle a pleasant sigh, knowing he was sincerely trying to recall everything they'd covered in preparation over the last two weeks since the synthesis. It was a lot of material to catch up on, and Cyrus hadn't been the most understanding, aware as he was of the circumstances.

Ahead of her lay the back of Blain Seastrider, showing the usual signs of stress and aggravation during test time. He was a particularly 'wild child' from what classes she's had with him, holding more to the common freshmen philosophy that action spoke louder than a test ever could. Of course, he still managed to get by, and in the gym and combat training he was quite possibly second to none. His skin was tan, but no overbearingly so, and his eyes always held some feral, bestial quality she couldn't quite pick out. His black hair was as much a mess as Tala's and fell down his face just past his ears instead of taking the spiky approach of the latter's.

The shuffling of the boy in question's robes brought her attention left, to see Tala leaning back in his chair and eyes gazing into the ceiling. His paper lay turned over just like hers, and she wondered just when he had finished it. It seemed like he'd been lying there for a while now. Now that she began to think about him, she realized how little she actually knew. He was almost a complete mystery to her, save for the adventures with Fate and not even counting that odd eye-shaped tattoo on his forehead.

"Alright, quill pens down." Cyrus Drake's sudden voice served to snap Victoria out of her musings as well as elicit several groans from those who had only a few more questions left to answer. The man stood from his desk chair, casting a glance at a piece of chalk in the chalkboard tray while moving towards the students. Each student held his or her paper in the air, and the man collected them as he traveled down the rows, speaking all the while. "I trust most of you failed to prepare suitably for the test, so I'm not expecting much. Now, we haven't much time before the bell, so listen closely."

The chalk from before began to move on its own, forming symbols and letters as the Professor continued to talk.

"The Headmaster has decided to task me with providing more group assignments for students. Something about encouraging teamwork and its ilk." As Victoria watched the chalk, it began to pen a concise outline of what Cyrus was saying. "After a fair amount of deliberation, I have decided to give you a group project." Numerous groans, more than from the end of the test, sounded, and the man promptly ignored them. "You will form groups of three and travel to the major neighborhood of your choosing. From there, compile historical and cultural information and create a presentation to show to the class. Visuals and native trinkets are encouraged. Use the rest of the class to figure out what you need to. Everyone will present this Friday."

He grabbed the last of the test copies and returned to his desk. Whispers sprung up all around the classroom, ranging from which neighborhood to choose to who would be best in what group. The bell's chimes rang out amidst all the commotion, and all the students rose to their feet, but few left the classroom immediately, instead choosing to confirm their groups.

Victoria scanned around to check out the groups that had already formed. Blain Seastrider had already approached Duncan Grimwater, followed a few seconds later by a peppy Sabrina Greenstar who seemed oblivious to the two boy's quirked eyebrows. The blonde herself admitted the trio was a strange sight: a ditz, a relative recluse, and a ball of energy. Everyone else looked to be taken though.

Anna Flamewright and Susie Gryphonbane had already congregated around Mindi Pixiecrown's desk, the three girls equally excited to have formed a group with people they already knew. It took Victoria a moment to realize that they'd actually have a distinct advantage. Mindi's home neighborhood is Colossus Boulevard, so she's guaranteed to know everything the girls will need.

At that revelation, something within her mind clicked, and her head immediately shot Tala's way, who was gathering his burlap sack of a backpack. "Hey Tala, who were you thinking of for a group?"

The boy looked up, subtly startled by her suddenness but not showing it. A small pause ensued while Fate came up to stand near Victoria, before finally he shrugged his shoulders. "You and Fate I guess. I didn't really have anyone particular in mind. Why? Do you have an idea or something?"

"Don't you live on Cyclops Lane?"

"Well, sort of…" His eyes widened as he figured out her reasoning, and the girl could have sworn she saw a bit of hesitation in them. "I do know the culture there, but wouldn't you guys rather do another neighborhood?" Victoria and Fate glanced at each other for a moment, then looked back at the boy, perplexed. Tala nervously stretched, looking away. "I mean I guess we can do it. I was just making sure."

"I'd rather just do Cyclops Lane, but if you're not okay with it we can—"

"No, no." His voice instantly erased all the previous uncertainty it carried. "We can do it. It's fine." He finished hoisting his backpack and set out towards the door, followed by a few miscellaneous students who'd already accomplished what was needed. "I have a late class today, so I'll meet you guys at the front gate at six."

Victoria and Fate stood there for a few more seconds, even as the rest of the groups followed Tala's lead to head towards their next class. Finally, Fate stepped up and turned to face Victoria. "Is Tala alright?"

Victoria didn't answer him at first, simply staring at the open door for a moment. A twinge of worry crossed her face as the strap of her messenger bag found its way onto her shoulder, and to nobody in particular, she whispered while walking towards the exit as well. "I hope so."

—o—o—o—

It was with a sigh of relief that the final bell sounded for the day, Tala haphazardly scooting his books and materials across the desk surface to the unwound backpack below. He blinked furiously as he made his way out from the magical fluorescent light of the general studies' corridors and into the fading sunlight of approaching evening, the contrast between the two bringing about a few seconds of adjustment. As they did, his gaze took in the milling crowds of students, some fellow freshmen he knew or had otherwise seen in passing, others second and third years robed in the finest of colored silks and tapestries reserved for highest of titles or the fattest of wallets.

With a chuckle at the thought, he began the long journey across campus and around the gargantuan girth of the grandfather tree towards the front gate, where a number of guards, wizards and soldiers alike, would be standing at attention, ready to inspect whichever suspicious persons traversed their paths. Tala did not so much mind the extra security detail, particularly since he was a part of the reason for it, but neverless couldn't shake the perturbed feeling as they quickly pawed through his bags for contraband. As always, he cleared inspection, returning a salute from two of the men not too weary to care for respect, and spied his quarry just at the end of the wide, two lane road connecting the school and the Commons.

As opposed to the morning, traffic along the entrance street and the Commons itself was rather sparse this late in the evening, allowing him to easily spot the familiar forms of Fate and Victoria standing at the far right out of every passerby's way. Both were not dressed up by any means, choosing a comfortable mix between casual clothes and sleepwear.

"Hey, sorry about the wait." Tala apologized affably, spewing out a relaxed huff as he came upon them.

"It wasn't too long." She responded, glad that he seemed more at ease than when she'd last seen him and hoping whatever it had been wouldn't return. "So I figured we could head to your house and come up with a plan, then tomorrow we can scout around the neighborhood for what we need."

Tala nodded his approval, and joined the duo in a stroll down through the Commons. Street lamps slowly began to flicker on as the three easily navigated the stone-paved walkways, crowds thinned after a hard day's work. Some still lingered, mostly swarthy construction workers tasked with completing a certain amount of work or spouses doing some last minute spending in the market for the night's meal, but most had discharged with the usual rush hour.

Soon, the trio slipped into the shopping district, the colorful tents and tapestries that lined roadside stalls removed and packed away for the night. Even with the lack of scent, the sight of the bread stall from a few weekends ago made Fate's stomach rumble from the lack of sustenance he'd received through the day, and his companions couldn't help but chuckle before resuming their conversation.

The quaint shops and boisterous department stores hidden behind the stalls of the shopping district slowly but surely gave way climbing stone towers and storehouses of Olde Town. Again, the vivacity of the liveliest port in all of Wizard City was devoid of its peak pedestrian saturation, replaced by the night stint of dock workers eager to begin and get the late night shift over with. Where the shopping district dealt with presentation and ambiance, here the prevailing theme was quantity and wholesale. Packs of food, staves, scrap iron, and any basic ingredients you could possibly think of rested in piles or in stacks of dusty boxes all around. Dozens of gargantuan wooden and iron ships, their forms more akin to a sea-faring vessel, hovered ponderously through the air or anchored themselves to stone piers hanging over the side of the bottomless void beneath the floating city. Here was where the imported tons of food and supplies need to keep Wizard City fed and armed rested, and Fate stopped more than once to marvel at the sheer amount of it all, against his friend's continued urging to move forwards.

As they talked and moved, the events from Cyrus's class kept resounding in Victoria's mind. Something had just seemed…off about how Tala had reacted to her suggestion. She just couldn't quite pinpoint the thought's source. Maybe she was just over thinking, but even the usually oblivious Fate had picked up the boy's distress. Even if she asked right now, though, she had a hunch Tala wasn't the kind to divulge personal information on a whim. Perhaps, as the trio came upon the gate and subsequent tunnel leading to Cyclops Lane, she would find her answer.

The guard on duty made a quick check of their forms and, seeing they had nothing to hide along with Tala's familiar face, allowed them easy access. The tunnel itself was dark, lit only by evenly spaced sconces unlike the glowing vines of the Unicorn Way entrance. Even this late in the day, as they drew upon the tunnel's exit, a particular smell assaulted their Victoria and Fate's senses, Tala immune from overexposure. Fate had no clue what it was, but Victoria gained a few viable suspects in a group of green skinned, tunic-donning trolls grunting and huffing past them. She made a mental note, as they stepped into the neighborhood proper, that she'd keep an eye out for any other offenders. And maybe take a bath when she got home.

Immediately, as their eyes adjusted from the dark tunnel, Victoria and Fate marveled at the grand architecture of the street. Grand statues lined every street corner, depicting hulking warriors posing with weapon or frozen in mid attack. Marble columns climbed from stone paved porches to support overhanging portions of the golden yellow roofs that sat atop most structures, mixing with the reddish tinge of the evening sunlight to bathe the street in an orange glow.

As if the name hadn't inferred enough, more than half of the pedestrian's they passed on the way to the interior bore the signature single eye of the Cyclops race. Some were contrary to the sparse views of them Fate had received in his trips with Victoria to the market place, perhaps a head or two taller than the boy himself and mostly clean shaven. He assumed these were not yet adults, as a group bearing backs as wide as chariots and arms thicker than small tree trunks moved passed them, the trio of humans not even reaching a third of their height.

This group caught Victoria's attention, not due to their hulking size, but the strange behavior they exhibited. They all seemed to cast passing glances at Tala, who went out of his way to avoid their gazes. Had her disbelief not stepped in, she could have sworn she heard one mutter something about trash under his breath. She looked back at them, their uproarious, mocking laughter serving to affirm her suspicion. Tala said nothing, continuing to walk silently ahead of them, sometimes pointing or changing directions, acting as if the incident hadn't happened. During the journey, Fate's eyes shifted subtly to Victoria, registering that he'd seen what had happened too, but neither could muster the nerve to question the boy about it, and the mood turn unnoticeably somber.

Eventually though, as they came upon a slightly dilapidated two story building along the street, Tala's head rose and his pace quickened in delight. By the time his two followers caught up to him, he was twisting the doorknob and easing the strangely tall, rough wooden door ajar with some considerable effort.

"Hey, I'm home." His voice carried through the short, narrow foyer into the adjacent living room, and the three stepped in. Victoria and Fate let their eyes roam around the high ceilinged space as Tala ushered them in. The best word to describe it was plain, though not in a negative sense. There certainly was a homely feel to it: a couple of picture frames here and there on wooden, hand-carved furniture pieces, the smell of some beef-like stew wafting in almost visible clouds from the kitchen in the next room, but Victoria could easily see the lack of creative design. Tables, chairs, everything seemed to be handmade, expertly crafted but seemingly fashioned out of nothing more than necessity.

"Ah, that's right. You had your night class." A gruff voice sounded from the kitchen, usurping a frothy noise exuding from the same direction. Victoria and Fate turned their attention to the entryway, and as the source came through, they understood the need of all the adjusted doors and ceilings. Another Cyclops, a few inches taller than the ones that sneered at Tala earlier, had to duck under the raised entryway just to enter the room. Miniscule wood shavings covered his coffee brown tunic of a shirt and clung to his Donegal beard. He pinched the handle of an iron ladle between his index finger and thumb, its head full of a meaty soup. His one eyebrow quirked, perplexed at the two extra bodies in the room. "And who might these two be?"

"Victoria and Fate." Tala responded evenly. "They're my friends."

"Friends…" His face was stoic, completely unreadable, and Victoria wondered why the air seemed to feel so tense all of a sudden. Then after a few moments, he shrugged his broad shoulders. "Well it's about time. I was wondering when you'd stop being so antisocial and make some." His response sounded so serious that Fate and Victoria couldn't help but chuckle under their breath, Tala merely rolling his eyes. The Cyclops turned to his two guests. "Any companion of Tala's is welcome in our home, any time. My name is Remus. To what do I owe this visit, though?"

"A class project. We're doing a presentation on Cyclops Lane." Victoria answered. Her smile faded as she spotted Remus sending Tala an inconspicuous but stern stare, Tala silently returning the favor.

The earlier tension returned, but quick words from Tala dissuaded it immediately. "We're going to my room. There's some books there we can probably use to start us off."

The Cyclops seemed appeased by the statement, giving the boy a soft nod while heading back into the kitchen, reminding them to come down for dinner in a half hour. The trio nodded in unison, Fate and Victoria voicing thanks, then they returned to the foyer, walking down the short remainder of its length to enter Tala's bedroom. It was much the same as the living room in scarcity: a desk for schoolwork, a bed, a wardrobe for clothes, a bookcase for reading materials he possessed or would need as he advanced in classes. The essentials, and nothing else.

The group inevitably took to the open space on his floor, Tala gathering some books while Victoria got out a notepad to pencil down ideas. The next fifteen minutes was filled with brainstorming, spouting whatever thoughts came to mind and forming it into an outline.

"So who is that Cyclops?" Fate queried, earning a sharp look from Victoria on his lack of tact. Tala held up a hand to calm her though, and continued thumbing through the book in his hands.

"That's my father." His eyes never left the pages, but he could easily feel their confused looks, and sighing, decided to elaborate. "Not biological. I was adopted." At that, the blonde female's face became soft, though Fate's remained perplexed, not sure what that even meant. Tala chuckled to lighten the mood. "No need to feel sorry. He's the one that's raised me since I was a toddler."

"Where's your real dad?" Victoria prodded with some reservation.

Tala shrugged nonchalantly. "No idea. It doesn't matter to me either way."

By this point, Fate's mind had pieced together enough of his friend's words to get a basic grasp of their discussion. "You don't want to go find him?"

"Not really." Tala replied. "I'm not angry or anything, I just don't have anything to say to him. Far as I'm concerned, Remus is all the parent I need. He took me in when none of the others would."

The room fell into a silence after that, the only sound the rhythmic ticking of the clock on the far wall. Each returned to his assigned role, Tala flipping through pages for information they could use to spice up their presentation, Victoria writing down lists of materials to reach a similar goal, and Fate going over his exercises for pip formation. Throughout this, Victoria's mind continued to wonder. There was definitely something Ty was leaving out, something that would connect everything together. The attitude of the Cyclops that had passed them earlier, Tala's own hesitance to do his street for the project, those strange glances she had witnessed between him and Remus.

Could it be that they just didn't like having a fellow Cyclops raise a human? She entertained the thought, but let it go no further. There really wasn't much racial tension between Cyclops's and humans to justify the idea. Before she could speculate any more, the bellowing call of Remus summoned them into the kitchen and around a dining table that easily accommodated the four of them. Being so small, Remus himself could not use the table, and so sat a couple feet away, using the large iron pot itself for his bowl after carefully pouring the teens a fair portion.

They ate in companionable silence for the first few minutes, the Cyclops imposing form deterring Victoria and Fate from beginning any sort of conversation. At length, it was Remus himself who broke the proverbial ice, out of nowhere relating a tale of a younger Tala garnering the attention of a female troll his age and avoiding her for the better part of a week. The boy snapped at his father, and Fate and Victoria broke out in boisterous laughs at the thought, almost falling out of their chairs. The stories came faster than the combined additional helpings of stew, Tala shrinking down in embarrassment with subsequent tales of his childhood. Victoria and Fate had long since thrown away their initial nervousness and became fully engrossed in the stories. It was a side of the boy they'd never before seen or imagined, and it was nice to have some potential blackmail lying about for emergency situations.

Their subjects covered everything, from Remus's work at a lumber mill and part-time carpenter in Olde Town to the children's progress in school. The Cyclops was particular happy to hear of his son's status as one of the smartest in the class, and gave him several pats on the back, restraining his strength as needed.

Eventually, on request, Tala began on cleaning up the kitchen while the remaining three relocated to the living room. Most of the seating furniture was a normal human's size, so Remus returned to the floor while the other two sat on a nearby loveseat. Then, after a few minutes of stories and general questions, Remus's mood shifted from lighthearted to solemn, and he scratched the back of his head as if he wanted to ask something but couldn't.

"Is…something wrong, Remus?" Victoria asked after a prolonged silence. The sound of running water and furious scrubbing provided enough cover for them to speak just above a whisper.

He breathed in response, steeling himself. "I am positive you've noticed something strange about Tala and this street since you've been here." The two were caught off guard, but eventually settled into affirming nods, not sure where this was going. "I am bound by honor to withhold explanation, but if I may ask you of this. On your search in town later on, if there is any place Tala does not want to go, please do not force him." The duo remained unreadable, not quite sure how to take the request. "Please, I beg for your understanding."

Without an idea what else to do, Victoria simply nodded, Fate following suit soon after. Remus gave a thank you nod of his own, and with that shifted his torso around to greet Tala, who'd just finished the dishes and was moving in to the room. Upon his return, they rose and began towards his bedroom once more, hoping to get some more work done before the duo would have to head back home.

Victoria glanced one last time at the rescinding figure of Remus, a grave look facing down towards the floor, then turned to Tala's back as he led them.

Without a doubt, she was definitely going to find out what was going on.

* * *

**(Author's Notes) **

Yeah, not too much this time. It was needed though. Hope you guys enjoyed! Chapter Nine is already written, so it'll be released this weekend or sometime before.


	9. The Golden Watcher 2

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

"Now, one thing I made sure to remember was the first year classes' growth rates..."

Ambrose's kindly voice easily managed to stretch across the somewhat confined space of the teacher's lounge in the General Studies building: a quaint room with navy blue walls, a handful of imported Marleybonian furniture, and large potted corner plants to show for any attempts to dress it up. The respective staff of the building sat upon these couches and chairs, sipping tea or other consumable concoctions; assistant professors, lecturers and researchers who had chosen not to become too specific in their fields of study.

One such assistant professor, Herbert Runewarden, unintentionally lost focus on the Headmaster's discussion somewhere between new room assignments and word of transfer students arriving soon. His mind had completely misplaced its sense of time and location, and only the timely arrival of a shrieking call exploding next to his ear snapped his attention back to the present situation.

"Mr. Runewarden." The blonde haired young man massaged his ears thoroughly, his face less than eager to see the compact flapping form of Gamma intruding heavily into his personal space. "I suggest you pay attention, especially when Headmaster Ambrose asks you a question."

In response, he made shooing gestures, garnering an offended huff from the owl, who returned to the Headmaster's side. Most of the other lectures around him couldn't help but stifle giggles at Herbert's plight and the way he treated Ambrose's avian aid. The aged wizard managed a chuckle himself, inciting more huffs from Gamma, and made a few gestures of his own. "Alright, that should be enough for now. I'll call in our meeting early today."

A multitude of shuffling feet responded, the assembled faculty standing as one and meandering out of the room as they pleased. Herbert was the last to stand grabbing his bags and trudging to Ambrose with an apologetic look on his face. "I'm deeply sorry for that, Headmaster."

"You seem troubled, young one." The elder surmised. Herbert diverted his eyes for a moment, then turned back with a long sigh.

"Headmaster, what do you know about Tala Mythhammer?"

Ambrose placed a hand to his chin, fingers hidden by his long white beard. Out of the hundreds of students in Ravenwood and the many more that had graduated before, Herbert was surprised he could even actually remember his name. "Well I believe he lives on Cyclops Lane. A bright boy, that one is."

"Yes, but what do you _know_ about him." He stressed for emphasis. "Some of our students… the Cyclops students. I've seen the way they treat him, the way they look at him. This behavior must have a source."

Ambrose stood quietly for a few moments, then turned his face to a nearby window. His voice was distant, as if remembering something. "One thing you will learn in time, Mr. Runewarden, is that mankind needs no reason to hate." Then, he turned back to Herbert while starting towards the room's exit. "Come, walk with me."

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Ninth Pip: The Golden Watcher 2**

* * *

"Tala." The boy looked up from his bowl of some leftover meaty stew into the gaze of his adoptive parent Remus, the bushy eyebrow above his singular eye creased in confusion. Tala continued to stare at him over the course of the next few moments while absentmindedly managing to steal one more spoonful of the stew. The Cyclops let out a belly chuckle. "You've never liked my stew this much. What's with the rush today?

The black haired boy downed the rest of his bowl in one gulp, then wiped his mouth on his forearm. "I told Victoria and Fate I'd meet them at the Festival Park to finish up the last of our project. Just…running late."

"Ah…I see." Remus responded carefully.

This perked confusion in the boy for a moment, but he was swift on the uptake, and did his best to quell the male's fears. "Don't worry. I'll be leading the group, and I know where not to go."

The Cyclops's face visually eased. "Good." Tala stood at that, grabbing a burlap backpack filled with maps, books, and utensils from the floor beside his chair, then took off towards the front door. Before he stepped out of the room, Remus called to him again, a reserved smile splitting his lower face. "You are a strong boy, my son."

Hidden within the shadows cast by the adjacent hallway, Tala's tranquil smirk went unseen. "Thanks." Then, he was gone, the door closing with a soft click behind him.

He was met by voluminous winds blowing over the smoothed cobblestone pavement as he stepped out of the house proper, carrying the smell of roasting animal carcasses and baking breads from nearby eateries along with handfuls of autumn-hued leaves.

It seemed autumn was in full bloom by now, if the plethora of trees wearing ginger colored foliage in grassy patches along the sidewalk had anything to show for it. Of course, with the seasonal change would also come harvesting this year's plantings. A number of field men he passed, human and Cyclops alike, carried wrapped barrels of grain on their shoulders or otherwise wheeled freshly picked vegetables in rough, beast-drawn wagons, probably heading back to the fields that dominated the city's outskirts after a hearty meal at home. In Tala's eyes, the wagons looked more like extra maintenance work than any viable hauling tool.

As a few of the leaves separated from their branches and sailed to brush over his cheek before dancing down to the sidewalk, the adolescent was surprised at how early the fall season had snuck upon him, and how long it'd taken him to realize the change. Schoolwork on top of all this Exseed business had really been eating away most of his first semester at Ravenwood, not to mention any extra hours of shuteye he was used to catching up on. Still, he couldn't find reason to complain. It definitely wasn't boring, by any stretch of the imagination, and he made a few good friends off of it.

The boy had to pause at that thought, if just for a moment, but he was quick to start moving again, whizzing around a corner in his hurried pace. That's right, Fate and Victoria were his friends. Tala hadn't thought about it much. It'd never bothered him before; not until he'd noticed how surprised Remus had been when he first brought them over a few nights ago. Later that same night, after they'd left, did he really begin to dwell on the thought. That he actually might have genuine friends, or at least something reminiscent. It had been quite a long time, he noticed.

He shook his head free of the thoughts as his trek began to come to a close, eyes catching sight of the famous Festival Park of Cyclops Lane. Second only in size and grandeur to the Commons Fairegrounds themselves, it was more of a colorful bazaar than an amusement park. Yellows, oranges, and reds sprouting from deep brown tree branches formed an overhead canopy, blanketing the grounds in most places and filtering what little light could squeeze through. Above the grass sat a number of tents, tables around and within their vicinities propping up wares and trinkets unique to the street: hand-fashioned marble busts of well known Cyclops figures, necklaces, clothing, and figurines. Humans, elves, trolls, and Cyclops children, most heads taller than even he, scurried about despite their guardians' best efforts to corral them. Tala couldn't help but chuckle at the sizeable thud one caused as he fell on his backside while playing tag with his peers.

Despite the general racket of the area, one particular conversation caught the boy's eye and ear. A blonde girl and raven haired boy around his age stood side by side at a stall some ways away, the latter listening intently at the stall keeper's efforts to coerce them into purchasing something.

"No thanks…I think we'll make due without having…." Victoria eyed the massive stone sledgehammer, its angular head actually denting the solid ground beneath it. "…a giant hammer."

"Ah, come now." The dark skinned, portly man said with a slight pleading edge. "I've been to trying to move this piece for months. Surely you could find _something_ to use it for?"

"Like what, a _table_? The head comes up to my ribcage. _From the ground_."

"Alright, that's enough Victoria." Tala decided to finally interject, coming up to give the hammer a curt inspection. Then with a hand to his chin, he regarded the shopkeeper. "Certainly a nice quality. If you're looking to clear it out quickly, I could see if my dad's got room in his shop for…one more."

The man observed Tala back, placing a calloused hand of his own in the short, unruly on his face. Even through its reaches, his knowing grin was apparent. "If he's got so many already, then I'd have to give him quite the discount, huh?"

Tala smirked. "Twenty five percent off."

"Fifteen."

"Twenty, Taymore. Lower and we walk."

The man's grin evolved into a full on laugh, and he held out his hand in agreement. "Quite the stubborn one, Mr. Mythhammer. You've got yourself a deal, then." Tala did his best to steel his visage under the man's unintentionally crushing grip, and it became easier as his hand went numb. Fate and Victoria snickered at the sight, bringing the man's attention back to them. "These two acquaintances of yours?"

"Friends." Tala felt odd saying that word, and at the same time a sense of subtle peace washed over him. "They're classmates of mine from Ravenwood. Victoria, Fate, this is Rand Taymore, a friend and supplier of my dad's."

"Nice to meet you both, officially." The man gave them a simple nod and Victoria was pleased in retrospect, spying Tala massaging his hand out of her periphery. "Good to see Tala walking around with some people his age. Try to keep him in line if you can. I've done a poor job of it myself."

Fate gave a serious nod, apparently not understanding the joke, to which Victoria couldn't help but give a lighthearted sigh, Tala rolling his eyes at the comment itself. With a few goodbyes and a renewed spirit, the newly reformed trio set off in the opposite direction from where Tala had entered, cutting a path through the growing number of pedestrians near the park's corner.

Victoria and Fate had quill pens and notepads at the ready. Tala had been right in saving the park for the last stop of their week of information gathering; it was best to save the culture and festivities to finish up. Despite their baser urges to partake in some of the festivities such as the arm wrestling competitions, pottery painting, and….. maybe not the troll mud wrestling, they did their best to stick to chronicling everything in writing. Though, Fate was sure to ask for a break every now and then. Not that he was able to win a game off of one of the Cyclops hand wrestlers.

The hours seemed only like minutes to them, and within no time they had decided to move on to some sort of restaurant back in town, the festival snacks and treats looking more unappetizing as the day went on. As buildings came into view and tree's faded into cobblestone, Victoria asked something that had been egging her since the group joined up earlier, deciding to ease into the topic. "That Rand Taymore seems like a nice guy."

"Yeah. He always tries his best to help me out when he can."

There was a lengthy pause after that with Victoria not quite sure what to say next. Eventually, though, she bucked up and decided to be more direct. "Tala, I have to ask you something."

The boy waited a moment, and although he tried to hide it, Victoria could nearly feel the unwillingness in his voice. "Sure, go ahead."

"What…" She sighed, trying to gather herself again. They continued moving, though their pace was significantly slower. "What is with everyone's attitude around here?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know _exactly_ what I mean. Even in the park before, people were staring at you like you were some sort of murderer." Her eyes widened a little, and an epiphany struck her. "No, not people. It was the Cyclops. Just them." Her voice became a little more pleading along with her eyes. "Tala, what in the world is going on with this neighborhood?"

The boy continued to face forward without stopping, and the silence grew on until he replied at some length. His voice was strangely dark, a mix of agitation and sadness, neither expressly directed towards her. "I don't know. I just…I don't know, Victoria. There's nothing to tell you. I've asked around. I've researched…" He craned his head around to face her. "Nobody will tell me anything, not Taymore, not even Remus. I just quit asking after a while, and for both of our sakes, I think you should do the same."

Fate stepped up to contest his words after Tala turned back around, but Victoria's arm swung out to stop him. She shook her head, and it seemed enough to rein the boy back in check.

The trio continued on after that, but the mood was much worse than when they had begun. Of course, they all still talked and discussed, but it was more than obvious to her and even Fate that this was to keep up appearances. He'd closed himself off, and just when she felt they were making some sort of progress with him, too.

The shady grasses of the Festival Park gave way to a rather busy three way intersection. Ahead of them lay Marathon Way, which Tala was sure to explain as the longest single road in all of Wizard City. From towering five to six story stone buildings with individual bricks as tall as them to crowds that rivaled even a weekend in the shopping district, Victoria could say with little reservation that this was the epicenter of commerce and socialization in the neighborhood.

Tala began pointing things of note out: buildings, statues, businesses. She noticed that he was a lot more reserved here than he'd been in any of the other streets throughout the week. He'd even grabbed a long strip of cloth from his pocket and wrapped it around his forehead the moment they stepped into the street, concealing the strange tattoo at the middle of his forehead. She recalled scarce bits of it, only when its pattern stretched across his body the night they freed Fate. Was that the problem, or just part of it?

"Hey, Tala." Fate said, causing the guide to turn to the boy. "What's that down there?"

He, in turn, pointed to a rather prominent fork in the road and the large, near fortress-like building that lay on its far side. Well, compared to the other buildings, he mused. The building itself was more a rough stone chateau than anything with a number of towering marble pillars supporting any overarching balconies. A stone wall topped with evenly spaced, elaborate spearheads enveloped the courtyard filled with emerald grass and statues of…even more Cyclops. Victoria mused how inflated the race's egos must be.

"It's just a meeting hall for some of the tribe leaders." He answered evenly. He sounded hesitant, and when Victoria looked for herself, she noticed two Cyclops standing guard on either side of its entrance. "It's nothing special. We shouldn't worry about it."

"Shouldn't worry about it?" The boy quirked an eyebrow. "It sounds pretty important to me."

"We're not going that way." His voice was firm now. "End of discussion."

"Tala, hold on." Victoria said stepping up, trying to ease the looming tension. She vaguely remembered what Remus had asked of her the last time he saw them, but she felt she had to say something about this. "Let's …let's just calm down for a moment. What if I went over there? We'll ask someone inside some general questions and then come right back."

Tala responded after a quarter minute's deliberation. "Fine. But please, make it quick."

The girl nodded. Crossing the line of pedestrian traffic from the opposite side of the street took some effort, but she soon ended up right before arch that led onto the street. The two Cyclops leaned against either leg of the arch, arms folded and gargantuan hammers at their feet. She noted, if anything, that they seemed smaller than Remus. Their faces looked younger too.

Still, they were quite threatening. Especially the seriousness of the left-most one's voice. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Sorry." Victoria did her best to play up a believable apologetic tone. She wasn't any good with 'female charm', at least not on purpose. Not that she figured it would work on them. "My friends and I have a report to do. Do you think I could slip by and get some information? I'll be quick."

"Not a chance. Gate's closed." The girl watched five unassociated people pass through during their exchange. She looked up to see a cocky grin on the opposite Cyclops and reasoned what was going on, but had no idea why. Still, instead of getting immediately angry, she kept her voice calm.

"But I don't understand. Didn't those people over there just—"

"The gate's _closed_, little girl." The second Cyclops stepped forward to interrupt, gesturing with his head to where Tala and Fate stood waiting. "To you and your…_company_. That headband of his isn't fooling anyone. Any friend of his is an enemy of ours."

"_What_!" She nearly yelled out, her eyes livid. "That's it! I've had enough of all this _trash_! I don't know what Tala did to you people, or if he even did anything at all, but there's no excuse for you to treat him like some pariah!"

Both Cyclops faces became more unamused, and for a moment Victoria hesitated. She steeled herself once again, though, as the first guard ambled forward and swung his hand low to pick her off the ground, speaking to his peer all the while. "This one's got quite a mouth on her, eh?"

"I'll say." The other agreed, just as he heard shouts from the other side of the street over the general racket. His one eye shifted to the side to see two figures forcing their way through the crowds, discharging from the flow to stop at the Cyclops feet. They wasted no time staring up to them.

"Victoria!" Fate called out as he watched the girl thrash about. "What do you think you're doing!"

"A few more troublemakers?" The Cyclops not restraining the girl stepped to meet him, crossing arms beneath the smug smirk on his face. "We're trying to prevent unauthorized entry, human. What do you think _you're_ doing?"

Fate gritted his teeth, and opened his mouth to protest, but Tala cut him off. "Please, just please let her go." A few pedestrians had begun to gather around, mostly out of curiosity than anything else. Then to Fate and Victoria's surprise, the boy carefully stooped to his knees and lowered his head, face angled at the ground. "We apologize for all the trouble we've caused."

Victoria and Fate were too stunned at his behavior to mount any objection, and before they recovered the Cyclops holding the girl spoke, a smirk splitting his face. "At least one of you knows his place. Bark like a dog and we'll be glad to release her."

"Tala! Don't you dare do that!" Victoria pleaded, then she turned as best she could to glare at the Cyclops' eye. "Are you insane! What did he even do? If this is how you Cyclops act, then you're more of scum then the people you look dow—!" The Cyclops' hand tightened around her, pushing air out of her lungs and forcing her body to go limp just compensate for the pressure.

The guard's eye gazed into the renewed anguish on her face, but he was anything but amused. "Little girl, you just earned yourself a world of pain for that." His grip began to tighten even harder, and despite the force Victoria managed to keep up a strong façade, but it was quickly beginning to crumble.

"Victoria!" Fate's voice was a little more hysterical this time. "Tala! Quick we have to do somethi—"

The boy stopped immediately as he looked upon Tala. It was a complete one hundred eighty degree turn. What was once that pleading bow was now eyes full of focused, quiet rage. It was clear some sort of barrier he'd erected had just broken. Something peculiar caught Fate's eye as well. A little black mark, detailed and seemingly imprinted on his skin, curled from underneath his headband and slowly but surely began to travel down his body. Other tattoo like marks did the same, emerging one by one from that same spot on the center of his forehead. To Fate, a strange energy began to radiate from him. It wasn't visible by any means, or necessarily evil, but the boy could definitely something, and its source seemed to be the tattoos staining his skin.

With all eyes on him, Tala slowly stood up with his head low. As he did so, the cloth wrapped around his forehead loosened enough to float to the ground, and when his head came up, the eye tattoo showed that it was connected to the rest of the tattoos.

"Release her."His voice was low and menacing, and effective at grabbing the Cyclops attention. Fate and Victoria began to wonder if it was even really him. "Now."

Victoria could hear the Cyclops take a gulp. Then, his hand lowered gently, her body with it, and she stepped out of his grasp onto solid stonework. She gave one last glance into their eyes. Fear. Not something she could say she'd expect from so burly a race, but it was there, and evident.

Tala slipped away just as quietly as he had entered into the state, and upon noticing Fate and Victoria carefully followed after him. The assembled crowd parted as needed to accommodate his path. After half a minute the two finally caught up to his pace, and after a few moments of silent traveling, Fate felt that he should ask.

"What…what was that? What's going on?"

While Fate asked, Victoria looked around. The faces of Cyclops who had seen the dispute had adopted the same fearful quality of the two guards to accompany their disdain. When they had gotten far enough, around the corner of a building into a secluded alleyway, Tala stopped. Then, he craned his head slowly, and the tendril-like tattoos slithered back into the forehead tattoo. A single tear rolled down from his eye nearest them, but his voice was surprisingly even.

"I don't know."

—o—o—o—o—

Herbert Runewarden sat still for a few moments in disbelief, as motionless as the stone-wrought bench beneath him or the small contained pond a few feet before. A few ducks waded climbed from the water, wading onto the grass, then looked up at him and Ambrose, who sat next to him, curiously. Seeing nothing of great notice, the largest one let out a quack and waddled off, the others following behind. Ambrose watched them go with some amusement, then turned back to Herbert as he spoke.

"I…I thought that clan was just a myth." He rose up, letting out a breath, but still faced towards the pond. "So he's one of them, huh?"

"I've had my suspicions for some time. The tattoos, his excellent test scores, but most of all the hostilities of the Cyclops tribe. That boy is truly the manifestation of their every attribute." Ambrose answered.

He allowed a pause to let it soak in, then Gamma, who occupied the top of his gnarled wooden staff, decided to elaborate. "To many, they are a myth. Researchers and archaeologists working in Krokotopia have found some of their writings, but their language is complex. There is still much to decipher, but both he and these findings prove their existence, and that they may still be among us."

At some length, Herbert turned his face to Ambrose. "Will you tell him?"

"If an opportune moment arises." The old wizard responded, letting out a cough and brushing away nearby leaves worn by a flowering tree overhead. "Until then, he must weather the storm."

"What? Surely you must help him, headmaster!"

"It is not wise for me to intervene in Cyclops affairs. There is only so much I can do before I begin to infringe on the treaty." At that, the elder worked his way to his feet, using his staff as ballast, Gamma finding rest on his shoulder. By the time Herbert stood, he was making his way towards the nearest campus building, speaking over his shoulder. "That said, I shall do what I can. It is necessary that he be cultivated properly. His lineage will prove influential in the Exseed's growth. That much is certain."

—o—o—o—o—

As Tala tugged on the handle of his door later that evening, after he, Fate, and Victoria had all mutually agreed to head home for the night, he began to take note of a few very peculiar things as he came across them. Firstly, that the door had been unlocked. He usually tested the doorknob out of habit, but rarely if ever was it actually unlocked. For this, he just assumed Remus had arrived recently after a hard day and didn't care to secure the lock on his way in.

The second occurrence was much more puzzling than the first, and lay within the house itself. A gilded, metallic hammer, its handle wrapped in a rich, crimson hued fabric, stood on the floor just next to Remus's own work hammer, a frequent visitor to its spot in the foyer. At this point he was sure someone else was in the house, and his suspicions proved all too correct as he stepped into the living room.

There, standing at the center of the high ceilinged room, was a Cyclops a head taller than Remus, who stood in front of him. Chiseled muscles rippled under his skin in every conceivable place, ones where Tala did not know you could build. A brass helmet, gilded as much as his hammer, sat atop his head. Platemail greaves guarded his chins, ending in a pair of dusty worn caligae. Tala noticed, on his bare chest and back, that there was not one wound or scar. Everything looked callous, for sure, like his hands and even arms around his leather forearm guards, but there were no scars.

_Wizard City Cyclops Chieftain: Akilles_

Tala watched the man carefully as he stepped into the room, keeping a certain length between him and the stranger.

"Come sit down, Tala." The forcefulness in Remus's voice broke his attention from the visitor, and he looked to his father's gaze. A disappointed scowl was etched on his face, and he seemed anything but pleased. The boy trekked carefully to the regular sized chair near Remus's feet, and as he seated himself, Remus nodded grudgingly for their guest to begin.

"Greetings, Tala Mythhammer. I am General Akilles, the leader of our race here in Wizard City." His voice was deep, and he kneeled down to better speak face to face, but his sense of superiority over him was evident. Just like the other Cyclops the boy had encountered over his life here. "I am a very busy man, so I'll not waste your time or mine. Two of our guards and a number of witnesses have told me what transpired today."

"And I suppose they bent the truth in their favor as always." Tala remarked; cold, calm, and collectedly.

"Indeed, they did." He responded, and if anything that threw the boy off guard. "I've known you since you were a child, Tala. I have some grasp on your personality, how you conduct yourself, and I know you wouldn't act out like you did today unless you were provoked. Some of the witnesses confirmed that."

Tala released a breath he hadn't known he was holding, but still managed a skeptical eyebrow. "So if you knew, then what's the point of this visit?"

"That's none of your concern." He said matter-of-factly. "Now, if you will excuse us, there are things I need to discuss with Remus." Tala caught him in a stare at that, neither wanting to break away. Then, the boy just eased out of his chair, and moved back towards the foyer. He glanced back one last time, seeing his father nod, then he retreated to his room, closing the door behind him.

A silence fell, and Remus waited a few seconds before sighing, turning to Akilles. "I'll make sure he avoids any major streets from now on."

Akilles nodded, but didn't seem any more pleased with the answer. "He came close today, Remus. _Very_ close." He let out a heavy breath. "I have a people to lead, and I can only tolerate so much. If he is allowed to fully awaken, then—"

"It won't come to that." He interrupted in a harsh whisper. "I won't let it come to that."

Akilles waited a moment and watched him. Then he turned towards the foyer as well, grabbing his gilded hammer in the process. He paused as his hand lay on the door handle. "Back then, I allowed you to take him on one condition. Remember what you swore to me, Remus. If he awakens..." He paused, and the silence signaled Remus to finish the sentence.

"If he awakens…" His words came out begrudgingly. "…I will end his life myself."

Akilles nodded and pulled the door open. He was at the street within a few seconds, the very apex of the sun inches above the horizon, street lamps beginning to flicker on. The door eased shut, and a click signaled his exit.

* * *

**(Author's Notes)**

And there we are; the end of the Cyclops Lane arc. Yes, everything is still confusing and little was answered, I know. But I have a plan and it will all make sense in due time. Next chapter brings us into a new arc: the advancement examinations. Don't miss it!

As a side note, confusing chapter titles will begin to make sense as we progress. Don't worry about them too much now.


	10. Advancement Exam

**AN: Not much to say for this one. Short, but the following chapter will be much longer. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

_Sunlight poured down through sparse cloud cover as breezy winds whipped through and over the verdant field. No other noise permeated the area, save for the padding of Fate's feet against the dry ground beneath. The boy moved amiably, head shifting around, not quite sure where to go. The horizon was just as devoid of civilization as his current location. _

_The only thing of prominence was one oak tree that spiraled into the sky, bountiful leaves a one solid shade of forest green. Its russet bark was craggy with age but strong, a testament to the perils it had weathered throughout its lifetime. For some reason, Fate seemed attracted to the tree and started towards it. At the very least, it could provide a suitable lookout point. _

_His evergreen eyes drew up as he neared, realizing just how tall it really was. The shadow it cast completely enveloped him; not a single speck of light could permeate the combined shroud of its leaves. He continued gazing in wonder, both awestruck and curious, until a voice more withered than its bark whispered from behind him. _

"_Seek me out."_

Fate's body rocketed forward, and the blanket shielding his legs leaped to the floor. His eyes darted around, checking the surroundings of his room. No one. Not that he and Victoria's lack of time to buy him furniture gave them any place to hide. He waited for at least a minute, simply just trying to calm himself down from his dream. A dream, right. Even though it felt so real, that had to have been a dream. There was no other explanation.

The wafting smell of baking bread cut off his thoughts and concerns, and he scrambled to assemble an outfit and join Victoria down the loft staircase for breakfast in the kitchen. The meal was small in comparison to others, thin slices of Hambrosia and the aforementioned bread, the girl admitting she'd awoken rather late to make anything substantial. Fate didn't have a problem with it; he was thankful for anything at all.

The two were out the door within the next half hour after quick separate baths and the donning of their novice uniforms. The commons were as alive as ever, and the school campus itself was no slouch either, something Victoria found quite odd. The general studies building was particularly busy. Students rushed back and forth between classrooms and lockers, every head she saw buried in a textbook or notes.

"Are they having something today?" Fate pondered aloud to no one in particular. She could only shrug in response.

The duo found their answer soon after they shuffled into their homeroom. Just like in the hallway, anybody that wasn't engrossed in a book was exchanging review questions with friends around them. Victoria and Fate found their usual seats near Tala, whose head was laid flat on the desk. This was the first time they'd seen him since last week, since the situation in Cyclops Lane. He seemed to be in good spirits, greeting the two with a reserved smile, which they returned. Some unknown silent agreement aroused between them not to speak on the event. None knew about it, but they all followed it.

"Hey Tala, did…we have something today?" Victoria queried.

Her response was a perplexed eyebrow, and a small bit of disbelief in his voice. "Wait, you don't remember?" She and Fate shook their heads in unison, and her concern grew at his cryptic response. "Today's the advancement exam."

Victoria and Fate's body froze, and any color immediately drained from their faces.

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Tenth Pip: Advancement Exam**

* * *

Mr. Runewarden's boisterous entrance into the classroom a minute later put the trio and every other student's conversation on pause. His leather messenger bag plopped down onto the front desk, and he spun around to greet his class, obviously exhausted from whatever he was doing.

"Sorry about my tardiness, children." He forcibly calmed himself before continuing. "Now, before we head out I've…" His eyes caught sight of Fate and Victoria, still as visibly stunned as when Tala had broken the news to them. All eyes slowly craned around to watch them. "Are you two okay back there?"

"They're alright." Tala remarked lackadaisically, waving a hand in front of Victoria's face. No response, not even a blink. "They just forgot about the exam today."

"I see." The instructor chuckled a bit, not at their plight but at the humorous reaction to it. "Well I'm sure they'll be alright regardless. Now, does anyone have any questions?"

A number of hands shot up into the air, and at that time Victoria and Fate broke from their trance. Their bodies were still transfixed, but their minds had started up again at least. Fate seemed to be shaking a little even, Tala noticed, but he was sure the boy was only worried about the advent of another exam, which he hated taking. Victoria was concerned about this _particular_ exam, and the notorious reputation it had garnered from the student base.

The first semester advancement was by far the most brutal of the entire Ravenwood curriculum. Not because of its difficulty; there were far harder tests to come. Rather, it was the ramifications of failing this particular test.

Regardless of your overall scores, any student who failed this test would have to repeat the semester over. No exceptions. Ever. All of the hard, backbreaking, mind numbing studying would mean nothing. Anyone who failed their second attempt the semester after was considered incapable of learning magic at the required pace, and would receive immediate expulsions. In effect, an expulsion from magic itself. One could potentially apply at some of the other academies that weren't Ravenwood affiliates, Pigswick and Mooshu among a few others, but very rarely did they ever take 'leftovers' from another academy.

It was also impossible to gauge the actually difficulty of the test. Each year the exam was different: sometimes written, more often than not practical application, and eccentric or grand applications at that. Coincidentally the weaker side of Victoria's skill set.

How in the world could she have forgotten this? The most important event in the first year. The blonde's mind ran through a variety of scenarios and options, but she stopped cold after bribery and blackmail. She wouldn't stoop to Ty's methods. Not that he'd ever done anything remotely like that. It sure sounded like him something he'd suggest, though.

Herbert's voice broke her from her musings. "Everything you've heard about this exam is probably true." He admitted with an apologetic chuckle. "Still, don't let other's experience dictate yours. Runewarden class is going to strut in there with our heads held high. Now, everyone rise and follow me."

Everyone rose, and followed him. Out the door, into the hallway, and down a stretch of corridor with multiple classrooms on either wall. Blain Seastrider, as confident and sure as ever, lead their pack of a dozen and a half students followed some ways behind by a mostly disinterested Tala, a curious Fate, a somewhat depressed Victoria, and the remainder of the quirky characters that comprised the class. Mindi Pixiecrown, Susie Gryphonbane, and Anna Flamewright all repeatedly recited what they could remember cramming down, in case they faced a written test. Sabrina Greenstar and Duncan Grimwater, two polar opposites in every area, surprisingly walked side by side. Apparently they formed some sort of friendship during Cyrus's class project, and it was the last thing anyone would have expected.

The remainder of the students, Victoria couldn't recall, save for three she had made attempts at getting to know over the past few weeks. Alex Greatspell, a fair skinned sandy blonde with a penchant for Cyrus's history class, fiddled with a piece of string to pass time during the march. His test scores were consistently up there with Tala's and, other than his slightly more outgoing personality, she noted many similarities between the two.

Thena Owlfinder trotted carefully behind him, an admittedly beautiful Russel Terrier Marleybonian. A pair of short, floppy ears sprouted out from near crimson shoulder length hair. Foreign students were a minority in Ravenwood for sure, but not anywhere near as sparse as regular humans would be in other worlds. Most classes usually had a twenty five to thirty percent makeup of students from other worlds, but Thena had the distinction of being the only non-humans in the Runewarden fold. It was this that caused Victoria and the other students to notice her, but her standoffish demeanor limited interaction over time. For reasons they didn't understand, the only ones in the class that she regularly communicated were Alex and Pathos Thornriver.

The latter, a tall, feathered-cap wearing brunette, was an unusual occurrence of sorts. Many who had not visited Marleybone were unaware of how large the human population had grown within recent years, people of all kinds drawn to the luxurious amenities it provided. Pathos was the child of two of those humans, and had quite the native accent and gentlemen's silver tongue to prove it. Many assumed Thena's willingness to talk to him ushered out of their shared home world, but that still left Alex, a Cyclops Lane native, unaccounted for.

She hadn't spoken much to any of the others in the class, but could at least relate to them now. They seemed just as worried about this test as she did.

The corresponding series of hallways eventually poured into a massive rectangular room easily twice the size of the gymnasium. Large marble pillars rose along the walls to support the domed glass ceiling, the room's only light source save sconces on each of the pillars. A grand staircase leading up to a second level balcony on the far side overlooked each of the first classes gathered there. A total of six were present, arranged in symmetrical blocks. The Runewarden class found their place in the middle front row, cushioned between the Phantomhide and Duskwallow classes. Victoria recognized a few of them from the entrance ceremony, but her attention was soon drawn upwards towards the balcony.

It was the first time she had seen them all, the first time any of the first years had seen all six professors in one place at one time, not even during the entrance ceremony. Dalia Flamea, Lydia Greyrose, Halston Balestrom, Moolinda Wu, Cyrus Drake…

And his brother. Malistaire Drake.

The six professors stood idly on the balcony, three on each side and split into their elemental and spiritual divisions, more out of habit than any sentiments of superiority between them. Each of their presences demanded a certain level of respect, raw magical power seemingly exuding from their bodies, unseen but ever prevalent. They'd each attained a level the average wizard could only dream of having reached.

And not a single one of them held a candle to the purple robed, kindly old man between them, making his way to the top of the staircase. They didn't need to feel anything to understand how high a dimension Merle Ambrose was in. The old wizard cleared his throat harshly, and as he did everyone stood at attention, and all conversation ceased.

"Welcome, esteemed colleagues of the magical arts. Your assembling here today is the greatest of all trials you will face in your first year at Ravenwood. I hope each of you has prepared for it." Victoria bit her lip as he chuckled. "This examination has far higher a purpose than testing your ability. The professors around me also use this time to examine you; to see which of you they believe is worthy of their discipline."

The assembled group remained perfectly still, each silently harboring one collective thought. Great, now against all odds the test was even _more_ important. Ambrose moved quickly into his concluding statements.

"Some of you may be wondering what this test entails." He smirked a bit. "I'm not one to spoil a good surprise, but I will give you this much. One, we have never done anything remotely like this test before. This is the challenge's first run in the exam test rotation, but be glad in that this one challenge will comprise your entire exam today." That failed to bring anyone's spirits up. Now they only had _one_ shot to pass. "Secondly, figuring out the point of this test will bring you halfway to its solution. The other half relies on your will."

With that, he spun around and a round of applause proceeded. The homeroom professors, under orders from Cyrus Drake who spoke directly after, ushered their classes to their assigned room. The inside of said room was completely, at least for the Runewarden class, was completely barren. White walls, white floors, a white door; it looked more blank than the average hospital room. The only thing of any note was the person-height golden pedestal at the exact center of the room and the multiple three-chair groups placed in patterns near or away from it. A massive, deep purple gemstone, easily the size of two human heads – possibly one of Cyrus Drake's, a few mused – sat atop the pedestal, basking in a sinister aura.

"What is this thing, professor?" Susie Gryphonbane asked on behalf of everyone, eyeing the strange device.

"That, Ms. Gryphonbane, is a Retae Sutol. A powerful device that places the subject in a heavy slumbering state and brings about a dream." Everyone perked their ears as he went on to explain. "The goal of your exam today is simple. You must wake up within a time limit of fifteen minutes. Everyone who succeeds will forget everything that happened during their dream. Everyone who fails is allowed to keep the memory of their dream in its entirety."

"Wait, is that it?" Tala asked, arms crossed. "This hardly seems like an exam."

Everyone was surprised by the professor's answer. Not what he said, but how he said it. It was careful, hesitant, and extremely fearful. "I…assure you, Mr. Mythhammer. This test will be more than a challenge for you. For all of you." The question seemed eerily pointed, but before Tala could queried further, Herbert continued. "Now, all of you will be separated into groups of three. Only one person in your group of three is required to succeed for the whole group to pass the exam."

"Just one? Of three?" Blain Seastrider showed his surprise as well. "Tala is right, there isn't _any_ challenge in this at all." A few of the other students in favor of the current difficulty demonstrated their favor against the back of his head.

"If you so wish to believe." Runewarden's voice was now straight, betraying nothing. Something Victoria, Fate, Tala, and a few others found doubly suspicious. Perhaps he wasn't telling them everything. "As one last word of advice, remember this. The deeper your dream, the greater the stimulus must be used to awaken you. Now, please assemble your group and take a seat."

Grouping was easy for the most part. Victoria, Fate, and Tala made their usual trio within no time at all. Most of the other groups also recalled partnerships during Cyrus's neighborhood project. Duncan Grimwater, Sabrina Greenstar, and Blain Seastrider assembled and exchanged greetings with each other. Mindi Pixiecrown, Susie Gryphonbane, and Anna Flamewright reformed their all female alliance. Thena took the least unnerving of her options and sided with Alex and Pathos. Each of the many triads took their chairs, and when they were properly seated, Herbert dimmed the room sconce before beginning a mystifying chant.

The first half minute or so was awkward, with nothing happening at all. Herbert just continued to recite the chant, and some students swore they'd fall asleep from that if anything. Soon, however, the purple gemstone atop began to glow from the center, spreading in every direction. Once its capacity had been filled with the soft glow, strange things began to happen. All their bodies were drained of energy over the course of three seconds. It soon became a war to keep their eyelids open and their consciousness in check. A futile war. Within the following minute, every eye was locked shut, snoring resounding in specific places around the room.

The professor's eyes scanned the space, and seeing all down for the count, began the timer on his pocket watch. Then, he maneuvered his way through the students, gave the door a turn and push, and wished them all the best of luck.

This examination seemed simple enough on paper, but Herbert Runewarden knew the far reaching ramifications.

Passing this test would require each one of his students to give up their happiness.


	11. Advancement Exam 2

**AN: And here's chapter eleven. Not much to say, so hope you guys enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

Herbert Runewarden eased his class's examination room door shut, letting out a sigh in the process, before turning around and walking off to join the other assistant professors. He made a line straight for the grand staircase leading up the professor balcony. Most of the assistant professors were already ahead of him; he had dawdled a bit after initiating the testing device.

He was one of the last ones to ascend the staircase, and took his place next to Cyrus Drake. By that time, Merle Ambrose's hand reached out to touch the crystal ball being brought forwards by a pair of workers. As he did so, it began to glow a shade of purple reminiscent of the Retae Sutol. It reached its apex within a few moments and all eyes shifted upwards to view the images on the magical holographic screen that stretched from one wall of the large room to the other.

Clear views of over a hundred images could be seen, the projection faded only slightly by the manner of light which created it. Every student from every class, organized by class and name, was represented in their own box, showing an image of the individual so as to not invade their privacy. In addition, some screens were different than others, and Herbert knew exactly what they meant. The deeper and more vibrant your screen colors were, the closer you were to awakening. The more yours faded into black and white, the more difficult it was for you to escape. He was surprised to see anything close to grays this early, though. The test had only just started.

Shaking the worrisome thought out of his head, his ears picked up something interesting next to him, but his eyes did not follow suit as Malistaire Drake spoke to his brother.

"Hopefully this lot will provide pupils with some backbone." He remarked, condescending eyes gazing up into the screen. "The last few batches have been less than appealing, and I tire of instructing students who lack the drive to learn."

"Indeed." Cyrus responded evenly, not tearing his eyes from the screen either. Specifically what he reasoned as the dreams of Tala Mythhammer, Victoria Flaresong, and Fate Evergreen. "Still, I have some hope. This time, anyway."

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Eleventh Pip: Advancement Exam 2**

* * *

Tala lay completely still, not quite sure what to make of this turn of events.

Everything was dark. Pitch black, to where he could not make out his hand in front of his face. Or what he assumed was his face. He couldn't really tell that right now either. There was no way to tell where his current location was, how long he'd been there already, and how long he was going to stay here. So for the moment, he just remained completely still, assessing what he could. Which admittedly wasn't much.

Of the few things he was sure of, he was positive that some sort of magic was involved. Strong magic, at that; powerful enough to at least block him out from all his senses. Or perhaps that wasn't it. Maybe they weren't being blocked. Maybe his being was just cut off from them. He couldn't tell which, and decided an explanation wasn't important right now. Finding out how to end it was—

Suddenly, he felt himself jerk. His mind rather than his physical body; something deep inside his mind had been…invaded? He didn't know if that was the right word, or how it could even be possible, but it had happened. He was bound to do plenty of impossible things as a wizard.

His eyes peeled open slowly a few seconds after the initial jolt, and everything was gray for a second. Sound gradually trickled in with color, followed by feeling, smell, and an odd bitter taste in his mouth. As his senses finally returned in full, he was able to look around assess his situation and surroundings.

"_Cyclops…Lane?_"

Buildings and entryways large enough to accommodate giants. Roaming groups of trolls whose smell could put a frightened skunk to shame. An overabundance of pretentious, marble statues.

This was Cyclops Lane alright. But why was he—

"_Wait_." He glanced at his hands, then his feet, testing everything out. "_Is this…This must be the dream Runewarden was talking about_." His claim made sense at least in theory. Memories of his class entering their examination room and the professor's explanation of the test began to return. Though, there was no way this could be a dream. All his senses were in perfect, working order now. He was experiencing everything as he always had. The mind was powerful, but to this extent?

He took to his feet, stumbling a bit and still somewhat distracted by how eerily real all of it was. Still, if it really was a dream, he should be able to control it somehow, he reasoned. He squeezed his eyes shut and began thinking of random things, everything that crossed his mind. Nothing happened. He vaguely remembered back to what Runewarden said. That device brings about a dream. So maybe it forces a specific dream on you? Tala shrugged, and affirmed it as his best hypothesis for now.

He decided to walk, to at least do something for now. The dream itself was a surprisingly accurate replica of the neighborhood, down to each individual stone, so even though he didn't have a distinct path in mind, he could spend time conjecturing without having to watch where he was going too often.

"_Okay, so what do I know…_?" He'd finally convinced himself this was indeed a dream, so that meant he was sleeping in real life. Runewarden said they had fifteen minutes to wake up. But with everything feeling so real, how were they even supposed to do that. Also, doesn't time in a dream pass by differently than in real life? How could he know what time it was? And then there was that weird rule. If you wake up before the fifteen, you pass but lose your memory of this dream. And if you don't, you'll get to remember.

There were definitely a few pieces he was missing. He was absolutely sure of that. The memory loss clause seemed especially suspicious.

Tala's head drifted up steadily throughout his speculation session, and his mind stopped racing with thoughts of the exam to actually truly notice his surroundings. Not the buildings, the people. Specifically the Cyclops that passed by him.

They were acknowledging him. In reality, most every Cyclops that didn't show outright hostility to the boy would usually do just the opposite. Ignore his presence altogether, when he was walking past like right now, when they were at the same stall in the market district purchasing fruit. They would act like he wasn't there. But right now, they were. Nods of affirmation, a warm smile here, a small wave of the hand there. The boy actually didn't know how to respond, not having returned greetings that much. At first, it was awkward, but he quickly picked up waving back at them.

It was sometime after this that his thoughts came back, and he reminded himself that none of this was real. That his mind was conjuring this up. He had no time to get wrapped up in this. He had to figure out what was really going on—

"Ah, there you are, Tala."

Tala spun around at the deep, lively voice. By that time, though, the massive hand had already enclosed around his torso and was lifting him upwards. The Cyclops that had captured him bellowed out a laugh, placing the boy on his left shoulder, and after becoming situated, Tala repositioned himself so that he wouldn't fall off, a leg dangling on each side of General Akilles neck.

The boy opened his mouth to question the action, thinking he was in trouble for something – whether it was his fault or not – but the Cyclops leader beat his words to it. "I've been looking all over for you. Remus is already at the council hall."

The general started moving again, the two Cyclops behind him following suit, and the quartet began moving into the denser areas of the neighborhood as Tala asked his question abrasively. "The council hall? What for? What's going on?" Now he was sure Akilles was up to something.

Akilles' eyebrow creased in confusion, and his voice was strangely honest. "For dinner, of course. You don't remember? You and Remus always eat with us once a week."

The boy paused, and when he did finally talk, his words came out breathless but grew slowly. "Dinner? With you? Why would I eat dinner with all of you?"

The crease increased. "Because we're your family. What greater reason is there?"

Tala lost the ability to form words at that moment, not that he could think of any regardless. His mind kept running as he sat stunned at the response. How long he'd only dreamed for this one moment to occur. Every painstaking, self-worthless year since Remus had taken him in. How long he'd waited for this recognition, the thing he wished for most—

In the silence that followed Akilles' declaration, the boy's eyes widened. The time limit, the memory clause's true expanse and ramifications. He grasped the true goal of this test.

—o—o—o—o—o—

It took Victoria a few minutes after she had initially opened her eyes to feel like she was fully awake. She sat motionless on her bed during this time, inside her room in the condo she and Fate shared, not quite sure of what was going on or what she should do. She remembered little, and barely any of it was solid. There was the walk to the examination room, Herbert explaining the test, she and her two friends sitting down in their seats, then everything after that was blank until right now.

She really wanted to believe what she was experiencing right now was a dream. Everything felt so _real_, though. The sensation of silken sheets over her exposed legs. The pleasant aroma she worked so hard to perpetuate throughout the condo, especially to counteract visits from Tala and Ty after training sessions. The clamor of pots and pans in what she assumed was the kitchen downstairs.

Dream or not, she decided to go discover the source of that sound. She climbed out of bed in a simple red tank top and blue shorts, threw on a white bathrobe lying in a stacked pile of laundry on her desk, and pedaled down the stairs to find Fate Evergreen and Ty Stormwhisper both mixing some strange concoction in a bowl.

"Umm…what are you two doing?"

"Victoria!" Both said in unison, but kept their faces on their work as Fate continued. "There you are, we need your help. Do you know how to bake cookies?"

"Well, yes. But why do you need to know?" She surveyed the mess of flour and batter on all of her once cleaned countertops. "What's all this for?"

Ty looked up from his own bowl, and quirked an eyebrow at her. "We're having family night tonight. You're the one that suggested it. Now, go and get dressed before—"

The Diviner's sentence cut off as the click of a lock resounded through the room from the front door. This prompted Tala and Fate to work more quickly, separating the batter on into circular dots on metal pans, but Victoria's eyes remained fixed on the entryway.

Three figures stepped through into the room. The first, a woman only slightly taller than Victoria, with deep brown hair whose ends rested on her shoulders. Next to her, a man nearly two heads taller, with hair blonder than the girls own and a musculature somewhat reminiscent of Remus. Both carried brown paper bags full of breads and vegetables. Behind the two was an elderly man reminiscent of the blonde, short hair grayed with age hidden under a white pith helmet. He was surprisingly lively, with a pep in his step for his supposed age.

The three visitors' mouths curved upwards into genuine smiles, the two younger ones stepping forward to envelop her in a hug.

All doubt washed away, and as she laid eyes on her father, mother, and grandfather, she knew instantaneously that this was indeed a dream.

—o—o—o—o—o—

Herbert couldn't take his eyes of the projection, not even for a moment. It wasn't as if his class as a whole was doing poorly. In fact, many more than he had first envisioned were beginning to break free. Some seemed on the verge of awakening. Others, somewhere in the middle of the road.

However, there were a few notably poor ones. Both Victoria and Tala's screens were deeply in grayscale. The latter's, he could understand, what with the racial tension and hardships he'd been through already, but Victoria was a complete mystery to him. He supposed he'd inquire about her at a later date.

"I do not understand." Herbert turned to Moolinda Wu as she spoke, looking solemnly up at the screen. Her voice was quiet enough for only those around her to hear, mainly Herbert and the other two spirit school professors. "What are we hoping to accomplish in this test?"

"Willpower." Cyrus answered just as reserved at length. "The Retae Sutol is a device that penetrates the mind and brings about a convincing dream of the thing desired most." He paused, and tacked on a sigh. He didn't like it any better than she did. "Fifteen minutes. They have fifteen minutes to discard the most realistic depiction of their happiness they will ever come across. If they can, we will have that much more assurance of their ability."

The bovine didn't tear her eyes away, but they did narrow considerably. This definitely didn't sit well with her. "What kind of stimulus is required to wake them, Cyrus?"

"It varies between the students." He admitted with a shrug. "Those near full color may require little. A prick of the arm, being frightened, perhaps even just focusing. Those in deep gray…" The Life professor's eyes traveled up to Victoria and Tala, remembering their faces from the hospital a few weeks back, then scanned others like them. "…would take something drastic. Death or something akin, perhaps."

Her eyes widened at the answer, but she quickly schooled them back. She then looked towards the floor, shaking her head and muttering aloud. "We would damage mere _children_ this far? Simply to test them? How could this be ethical in the slightest?"

"Wizardry is no world for the weak-minded." Malistaire, who had been silent up until that point, spoke matter-of-factly with arms tucked behind his back. Swathed in a black robe not at all unlike his brother's yellow one, dragon patterns emblazoned on the breasts and a sash of gold holding his waist. "They must have the strength of mind necessary to discard such trivialities if they ever hope to walk down the road of magic. It is this damage you speak of that allows them to grow."

"Or destroys them before they can begin." She countered. Malistaire's eyes flicked over to her sharply, and she barely restrained a flinch. His voice was as calm as always, but she could definitely sense an edge to it somewhere.

"You speak freely of ethics_,_ Professor Wu, but I advise you to remember this and remember it well. As the head instructor of the life school, you have the luxury of molding healers and doctors." He turned his eyes back towards the projection. "However, the remainder of us must fashion soldiers."

The conversation died at that, Wu turning back to the screen as well and Cyrus darting his eyes off to the distance somewhere, obviously saddened by something. Herbert looked back up at the screen as well, not sure why Fate Evergreen's screen had suddenly turned pitch black.

—o—o—o—o—o—

Tala cursed repeatedly in his mind, barely restraining himself from pounding his fists into the back of Akilles' bare head. He wasn't frustrated at him, or rather the pleasant companion the dream had crafted him to be. The situation itself was screwed up, and also what he'd realized in the indiscernible span of time since they had begun towards the council hall.

This device, or whatever was forcing him to dream, was causing him to experience the thing he wanted most. The exam rules were forcing him to throw it away. All of it. To completely toss away this unexplainable joy he was feeling at finally, _finally_ being accepted amongst these people. For the first time since he had the ability to remember anything. It was all a lie, and he knew it.

This Retae Sutol was one convincing liar.

But wait. He wasn't completely deadlocked, per say. There was the last rule he had forgotten about. Only one out of your team of three had to awaken within the time limit in order for the entire group to pass. What had seemed the most counterproductive rule he'd ever heard was finally becoming clear.

If one of you passed, the other two could freely indulge in the greatest fantasy in existence. And savor the memory for the rest of their lives.

But there was no way to communicate with the other two people in your group. In essence, there was no way to ensure that you could do as you pleased. Tala supposed if you truly had faith in your teammates, it could work out somehow, but he quickly quelled that notion. This exam wasn't even about trust either. It was testing _you_.

You either take the fall for the sake of the group, or pray to Bartleby that your teammates aren't as selfish as you are.

Tala's eyes scanned around in every direction he could find, searching for clocks, sundials, anything. But if the exam creators had any common sense, they'd have made sure to eliminate anything in the dream that could keep time. How long had he been in here anyway? He was now positive dream time was different from real. Where Akilles picked him up to where they were now was well past a fifteen minute walk, not counting the time before he encountered the Cyclops.

So now two things. He didn't know how much longer he had left, and he couldn't confirm Victoria and Fate's status. He paused, eyes widening. Maybe they haven't realized that aspect yet. That not _all_ of them had to pass. But could he bet on it? Victoria's a dependable girl. She stood up to those Cyclops last week without any fear. And Fate seems so pure. The Exseed had to be uncorrupted, right? Surely one of those two would be strong enough to pass this. Surely he wouldn't put himself before his friends.

Not like Tala was prepared to do.

"Something wrong, Tala?"

Tala had been so zoned in that Akilles voice came as a rather disruptive shock, and he jumped a little as his deep voice's vibrations ran from his throat up through the boy's body. He composed himself before responding, hesitant but feeling he had no better option than to ask. "Yeah. If you don't mind…"

—o—o—o—o—o—

Victoria's eyes could not leave the spot on the wall in front of her. She lay back on the couch, mind struggling to comprehend just how much the next few moments were going to affect her life. And chances are she wouldn't even remember it.

By the time the group of six had finished dinner and sat in the living area for a rousing series of games, she had picked up just how all the rules of this test interconnected, and what they meant for their group. Right now before her were the three people she wanted to see most, having a wonderful round of charades with her adoptive brother and the Exseed. She could have asked for no better scenario, to spend time with everyone she had come to cherish the most.

Ambrose was right when he said knowing the test was half the battle. The once elusive 'one out of three' rule was especially clear now, and more than that, dangerous. If two out of three had to pass, it would have been extremely difficult to let go of this happiness she felt right now, but there wouldn't have been little hesitation. She'd know there'd be no room for a mistake on her part.

One out of three was a completely different game.

It was a dream, she was assured, and she would give it up for the sake of her friends. But if one of them had already passed the test… no she couldn't afford to think like that right now. But she was.

Tala. She was unsure what Tala would do in this situation. There was just so much she still didn't know about him, so many secrets he was hiding. Like the stuff in Cyclops Lane. Could she really trust that he'd throw away whatever happiness he was in right now? If what they witnessed the other day was any indication, he needed _some_ sort of break. She could hardly blame him for capitalizing on this, but otherwise her sacrifice would be a waste. And there was no way she was going to waste this moment.

The last time she would ever see her grandfather, mother, and father all in the same place. All with her.

Fate was an enigma himself. Not the Fate before her doing his best impression of a Frost Giant he'd seen in textbooks. That was a dream, she reminded herself. The real Fate, who'd they'd gone through so much with over the past couple months. What was the Exseed's dream like? A boy who came into this world without a single relative. Who's constantly in danger of being assassinated at any time. Could he escape whatever happiness he was trapped in?

"Your friend sure is cute." The words registered in Victoria's mind just as her mother plopped down onto the sofa beside her, just having finished her turn of charades while her grandfather moved to take a shot at it. A knowing smirk stretched across her face, and she poked her shoulder accusingly. "The tan one over there. Where'd you find him anyway?"

"Just around." Victoria lied nervously, glancing away. Her mother caught it, but didn't feel the need to press. Rather, she got down to what she really came for.

"Be serious with me. What's wrong, Victoria?" Her face was reserved. "I'm your mother, and I can tell when something's eating at you." She leaned in to whisper. "I won't tell your father, I promise."

The following wink calmed the blonde somewhat, but she still fidgeted for a moment, figuring out how to phrase it, and eventually ended up staring out the glass doors leading to the porch as she spoke. "If…if you had to choose between the greatest happiness you'll ever know, or taking a chance and helping a friend when there's a big chance it won't even matter. Which one would you pick?"

—o—o—o—o—o—

"Personal happiness or uncertain friendship…" Akilles mused for a few moments after Tala's question, allowing a hand to come to his angular chin.

The two and the duo of Cyclops guards behind him rolled into Marathon Way. Those passing by, mostly human's and children with a few other Cyclops, greeted the group upon recognizing them, and Tala felt a tug on his heart once more as he envisioned having to give all this up. At some length, Akilles' face seemed to register some epiphany, and he began to relay his decision.

"One of my greatest passions in life, Tala, is war. My entire being craves the thrill of battle, of emerging victorious. To me, there is no greater fulfillment." Tala saw the Cyclops' head angle down to a few children running past his feet, and his voice grew more reserved. "But my people have seen enough war in their lifetime, and I know they cannot afford to partake in any more. Being a leader…no, even just being a man means knowing when to set aside your desires for the sake of those you cherish. For those who need and depend on you."

A silence reigned over them in the following moments, the blaring chatter of the pedestrian traffic little more than soft white noise to them now. Akilles cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Did that, uhh….did that help any?"

Tala remained quiet, recalling the final hint Professor Runewarden had imparted to the class, then suddenly smirked. He'd been such a fool.

"Yeah, it did. Thanks."

The Cyclops breathed a sigh of relief, just as the two behind him witnessed Tala's body relax, falling backwards. Musing on how well he and Akilles probably would have gotten along under different circumstances as the back of the boy's head connected with the stonework below, snapping his neck.

—o—o—o—o—o—

Ms. Flaresong was quite perplexed at her daughter's such…serious question, and had to steel herself back before she could give a proper answer. Just as she opened her mouth, though, Ty's voice filled the space, snapping both of their attention to him.

"Hey Victoria, get over here. Grandpa brought us some wicked stuff from Krokotopia." To demonstrate, the Diviner retrieved a wood-hewn wand top with a gold-encased amethyst head, dexterously twirling it around in his hand as Fate stood mesmerized by it and egged him on to show him the technique. Before she could make any move, her father and grandfather moved towards her position on the couch, the latter holding a burlap sack that jingled with ever step he took.

"Here. I didn't forget about you." The elderly man set down the bag, simultaneously retrieving a golden, heart-shaped locket with a flawless ruby at its center. The girl stood frozen at the gesture, as her father fixed it around her neck, raising her hair to clasp the two ends.

"Grandpa…" She knew she was running out of time, but couldn't help expressing her surprise at the gift. It was just so…perfect. "What is…what is this for?"

Her father backed off from her and answered with a smile. "Your grandpa, mother, and I thought that since you put in so much work getting in to Ravenwood, you deserved at least this much." He grabbed one of her arms, and her mother stood up as he pulled her out of her seat into an all-encasing hug. His voice was a loud whisper, and she could hear his breath. "You've always worked hard, and always stood up for what you believe in. Never forget that we are very proud of you, Victoria. You are the daughter that we had only dreamed of."

Single teardrops began to fall from her dad's eyes and stain the top of her head. Her mother and grandfather, supposedly moved by the display, joined in their embrace. The girl failed to hold back a few of her own tears, and wondered how in the world she could ever let this go.

Then by chance, when she opened her eyes, they rested on Ty and Fate on the other side of the room. The former managed some sort of sincere grin, and the latter just smiled warmly for her. Victoria just watched Fate's face for the longest time, mystified, and something just clicked inside her. She detached herself from the embrace and looked at the three – mother, father, grandfather – replaying the scene one last time in her mind. Then, she decided. This time spent together, that one moment of love. Even if every part had been a lie, all of it had been enough for her.

And if it hadn't, it was going to have to be.

"Thank you, all of you." She turned to the chair in the middle of the living room, which her grandfather had used for his impersonation during the charades. "Guess it's my turn is next?"

Everyone nodded and sat down somewhere on their couches, and she moved over to the center. She inhaled deeply, one last good deep breath, and firmly gripped the chair's back with both hands. She exhaled. Herbert said they'd need a bigger stimulus the deeper the dream they were in.

Before everyone could recognize what was happening, the chair was sailing through the air, crashing through the window before tipping the porch railing and plummeting to the ground below. A sharp wind entered in tandem with shocked looks from everyone, and Victoria could only return an apologetic smile. She stepped through the hole left by the impact and didn't look back as she climbed over the railing and leaped forward as far as her leg strength would allow.

The wind whipping around her ears in her descent shielded her from the horrid, bloodcurdling screams coming from her living room. Even if it didn't, she wouldn't have had time to cringe at what she'd just done to them.

Not in the two seconds before she crashed into the pavement and everything went black.


	12. Ensnare

**AN: Just a little set up chapter here. Hope you liked the exam arc. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

"It's about time."

His deep, gravelly voice echoed off the rugged walls and ceiling of the dimly lit tunnel, bouncing down its stretch before fading into the emptiness ahead of them. Sasha craned her head back at him for a moment, continuing to move forwards. A black long coat. Black pants. Black leather boots. Face completely obscured by the shadows his hood cast. Or perhaps that was just some magical effect of it, she couldn't tell.

Neverless, she decided to humor him. "It's not easy getting an outsider into a meeting with one of the council members." Her deep brown locks bounced with every step, plum eyes flaring in agitation. "You're lucky I got you in at all."

He conceded with a shrug, and she faced forward again. They walked in complete silence, not that it was awkward. Both simply understood that the other wasn't fond of their presence anyway.

The cave didn't seem to grow darker the deeper the traveled, evenly spaced candles appearing halfway in and lighting their way through the splitting corridors and narrowed halls, allowing Sasha to extinguish the candle she held up. The path slanted downwards, stopping at a large cylindrical hole cut into the earth whose edge was rimmed with a spiraling walkway and whose bottom could be faintly made out.

They reached the bottom a few minutes later, and both looked up to the far side of the staircase outlet. A colossal wooden door stood buried in the wall of rock, as tall as the hole's opening that led to it was wide. Black briers and brambles littered its old, nearly decaying wood, but it was easy to tell that it was still more than functional for keeping out intruders.

Just before the gateway stood a moth eaten old woman using a knobby, wooden staff as ballast to keep her on her feet. The wide brim of her black wizard's hat shielded her face where her long white hair could not. Sasha arrived at her first, and surprisingly took a knee immediately, head bowed in reverence. "Rise, young one." The old woman remarked gently, and she followed through just as the hooded figure that was following her approached as well.

Sasha hissed at him. "Bow you ungrateful—" But the woman cut her off, holding out a hand for her to stop.

"Enough, Sasha." The girl followed orders begrudgingly, and then the woman continued. "My name is Gretta Darkkettle, a member of the elder council. We have acknowledged your peace offering of fairies and are willing to hear out your requests."

The figure nodded, voice deep. "I only ask permission to access Stormdrain Tower."

"Stormdrain?" Gretta narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Only our records abide within its walls. What could you possibly achieve there?" The next five seconds of silence were her answer, the hood simply facing her direction. A wary scowl crossed her face, and with a sigh, she gave him a slight nod. "Very well. We will accept your request, but we will also have Sasha accompany you."

He nodded reverently without a word, then turned around and began towards the spiraling staircase that would lead him out of the gargantuan hole. Gretta and Sasha watched him carefully. As his feet touched upon the first step, she whispered to Sasha without glancing in her direction.

"He is untrustworthy."

"Agreed." She replied just as matter-of-factly.

"Let him find what he needs." She continued, turning towards the massive gate. "If he does anything that could jeopardize our position, kill him immediately."

Her calm expression belied the anticipation in her voice. "Gladly."

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Chapter Twelve: Ensnare**

* * *

Victoria's eyes snapped wide as her body shot forward, just barely managing to restrain herself from tumbling out of her chair. Her breath was laden and heavy, cold beads of sweat gripping all over her skin, and the sharp pain in her head wouldn't subside no matter how long she massaged her temples.

Through the haze of confusion and discomfort, she managed a glance around. A myriad of colors, some close and some on the other side of the room, assaulted her sight, and her strangely sensitive eyes had to shut and blink rapidly to adjust. As they did, the sound of a familiar groan brought her attention a chair to the right, resting on the form of Tala who seemed just as disorientated as she was. She allowed him time to recover before sleepily asking. "T-Tala? Where…where are we?"

"I….uh…can't remem—" His eyes widened as a spark of realization flared. "Wait…the exam!"

Both shot up, inadvertently knocking their chairs over and grabbing the interest of the color myriad, who turned out to be the remainder of their classmates. Susie, Mindi, and Blain were the closest and approached first, the latter two assisting the staggering duo to their feet. The former attempted to calm them. "Whoa, calm down guys. Everything's alright now."

"What's going on?" Tala questioned, beginning to regain coordination.

"We think the exam's over now." Mindi conjectured. Her finger directed their sight to the Retae Sutol, no longer glowing the sinister purple it once held. "The machine cut off just a second ago."

Victoria's face grew grim. "Wait so did we make it in time?"

"Depends. Remember what your dream was about?" Alex Greatspell asked with a smirk, approaching Tala. The latter's eyes drew upwards as his mind ran through everything that happened. And came up short. After a few moments, a smirk of his own split his face, and he cast a knowing glance to Alex, who matched him. "Good. Neither do I."

Victoria gave a sigh of relief at the revelation, the rest of the class advancing to their position to join in the group discussion and wait around for whatever was supposed to happen next. The class as a whole had done better than she expected, specifically after she had figured out the vital ideas behind the exam. Some of the victors were still rather put off by the whole ordeal, and the blonde could sympathize with them. _Only_ the memory of the dream was wiped. The emotions you felt and the grave feeling of loss were completely untouched. She gave the device one last withering glance before she noticed that one particular person was missing.

"Hey, where's Fate?"

Silence, contemplation, then multiple shrugs from those around them. Alex spoke. "I was the first one up. When I looked over at his seat, he was already gone."

Just as the boy ended, before Victoria or Tala could finish casting confused glances at each other, the room's door handle twisted and the door eased open. Herbert Runewarden's head peeked in first, followed by the rest of his body upon seeing everyone now full awake.

"Good, all of you are awake. Quickly now. The headmaster has something to say."

He motioned for them to move through the door, and they silently followed his orders. Victoria meant to ask him about Fate's whereabouts, but found him standing in the space left for their class, waving them all over. The Runewarden class squirmed their way through the other classes wherever they could fit before finally forming their own block. Hushed whispers and excited chatter mixed into an unintelligible hum, only broken as the teachers minus Cyrus appeared and Ambrose took his spot at the top of the staircase once more and corralled their attention.

"My, my….it seems we've had quite the unprecedented event occur here. It seems that nearly every group achieved or surpassed the one out of three rule. More than ninety percent of the first year classes have passed the exam." Thunderous cheering and sharp catcalls rang out, and the elderly wizard gave them all a few moments to calm themselves back down. They had earned it, after all. "A splendid endeavor by all of you. However, there is something I would like to explain to all of you. Particularly to those individuals who failed the test individually."

The chamber became dead silent as he explained. "This test is different from any other we've implemented before. It did not test your aptitude, vigor, or ability. We wished to see your willpower." Ambrose's eyes remained focused on the throng, but they seemed to be looking afar off, at something beyond them. "Wizards rarely work alone in the field. They are most often part of a group, a cohesive unit with a goal. Sometimes for that unit to complete its goal or even survive, sacrifices must be made. This exam was to ascertain if you were willing to make that sacrifice, when so much was on the line, with the strong chance that you may have not needed to sacrifice at all. For those of you who did not pass, I hope you recall this lesson as you decide whether to continue in wizardry or pursue other trades."

His eyes surveyed a few in the crowd, notably a few in the Runewarden class, and managed a smile. "And for those who passed, perhaps you've learned something about yourself."

Victoria did, as far as she knew. She glanced over to Tala, seeing him staring at the Headmaster while a satisfied, triumphant smile crossed his face. The most genuine one she'd seen from him since she'd first met him. And she was genuinely glad for him in return. Because he'd passed the test just as she had.

Because he'd put her and Fate before whatever was in the dream. Just as she had.

The Headmaster dismissed them soon afterwards and each of the classes formed into lines and squeeze back through the entrance hallway one at a time, heading back to their respective classrooms. Most were glad that had been the only part of the exam. Any more than that might have been too much mental stress to deal with.

Ambrose watched until every last student had left the room, then turned to all the teachers present to dismiss them as well. They left much quieter than the students had, though Professor Greyrose kept uttering something about all of them joining her for tea later in the day. It was sometime after that the old wizard turned to the back of the balcony and spotted the once missing Cyrus Drake approaching him with an even look. Ambrose's beard masked the unwilling frown his mouth created. "Was anything found?"

"The assailant wasn't in any of their memories." Cyrus replied with a shrug. "If anything, it narrows down our search. None of the first years have a connection with him."

Ambrose nodded, pleased at the lack of first year involvement but resentful at the diminishing number of leads in their possession. "There is still the Exseed's chamber to investigate. I want a team down there by the end of the week. We will find this fiend yet."

—o—o—o—o—o—

"You can do it, Fate!"

"Focus!"

"Take them down!"

Fate Evergreen drew in a deep breath through his nostrils to calm his nerves, unblinking emerald eyes focusing wholly on the target ahead of him. He took a moment to wipe a sweat bead before it drifted into his eye. Then, his grip tightened, his arm cocked back, and he let loose. The whiffle-like ball spun through the air with a sharp whistling sound before crashing into a pyramid of empty bottles, which fell backwards and shattered into dozens of pieces.

Cheers erupted from behind him in tandem with a grunt from the stall's proprietor. The man discharged a small plush toy – a baby fire dragon – and Fate eyed his accomplishment with pride before handing it to Victoria, who returned with an embarrassed 'thank you'.

The group of eleven set off from there, still slightly high off their victory at the game. A game that had taken them upwards of twenty tries and that was _obviously_ fixed. Sabrina Greenstar had been the first one after the test to suggest class attendance at the fairegrounds for a night of relaxation and stress relief. The others thought it was a great idea, and soon it spread through the rest of the first year classes. Runewarden all decided to stick together throughout the night, though. This may very well have been one of the last times they'd be able to spend time with each other before their promotion into the magical disciplines at the semester's end.

The famous fairegrounds of the commons housed many a wonder, and the class would made sure to partake in all the sights and sounds on their trip through. The byways were as filled with people of all kinds as the normal commons streets were. Confetti drifted down like snow, kicking up from the ground by the displaced wind of their steps. Teams of performers poured their souls into their trade, balancing and tossing all manner of dangerous devices in the air while wheeling around on odd contraptions. Strings of colored flags and magically powered lights crisscrossed above their heads, from light poles, rooftops, or anything else high enough to house them. Most of the illumination originated from the gargantuan Ferris wheel at the grounds center, and the group had to careen their heads back as they drew closer to it.

Susie, Mindi, and Anna moved to enter its line before giving anyone time to respond to the suggestion, but nobody raised any complaints and followed them in. The class split in two, each cabin large enough to accommodate six. Victoria, Fate, and Tala found themselves paired with Pathos and Alex. For some reason Victoria didn't think to ask about, Thena didn't join them in their celebration, though it was already something the class was used to, so no one paid it any mind. A comfortable silence sprang up between the five as they just gave each other time to relax from the more eccentric class member's undying energy.

The cabin circled upwards, and at the wheel's ten o'clock position, Victoria remembered what she meant to ask Fate before. "Where did you go during the exam? Alex said you weren't there when he finished."

The boy looked up in wonder, then said. "Oh yeah, well I finished early."

"How early?" Tala said with a quirked eyebrow as everyone else tuned in.

"About two minutes."

Victoria and Tala froze, and the life seemed to drain from their eyes. Fate could have sworn the temperature in the cabin dropped a few degrees.

"Two?" Alex filled the resulting silence, watching from his peripheral vision as Victoria and Tala's mouths gaped open like dead fish. "That seems extremely fast. It's hard to believe you escaped your greatest happiness that quickly."

"Oh that's what was supposed to be in there? I don't remember exactly what was in it, but I do remember everything being…jumbled. Nothing really made sense." Fate shrugged. "Maybe mine was just broken."

Alex conceded the thought, then glanced at the still perturbed duo to Fate's right, who he could have sworn had been foaming at the mouth at some point? "What's wrong with them?"

"We could have stayed in the dream…" Tala whispered breathlessly, head slumping forward as Victoria's did.

"Well look on the bright side…" Alex led in sheepishly, hoping to comfort them. "Your group was one of the only ones where all three members passed. Surely that counts for something."

Tala and Victoria sat straight up, faces completely calm now, and turned towards each other. "We should have stayed in the dream."

The Ferris wheel slowly completed its revolution, and eventually the quintet discharged from their cabin into the street where the remainder of the class awaited them. They stepped back into the flow of pedestrian traffic, Tala and Victoria bringing up the very rear. The two seemed to have fully recovered from their disappointment, and they quickly made an agreement between them to petition Ambrose to let them borrow that machine again one day.

But for now, they would rest and spend some quality time with their peers. At least for tonight, one night to cast their cares and worries aside. And it was with that thought that all of them returned home later that night, retreating to their warm beds and drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

—o—o—o—o—o—

The rain fell, the echoes of its tapping against the high ceiling of the Haunted Cave the only sound to permeate the inner sanctums of Stormdrain Tower. A dark figure sat at a candlelit desk within the structure's thick walls, pouring over the numerous books strewn over its flat, oaken surface. Otherwise, the room was pitch black all the way to the rough door on the far side, the space between littered with tomes, crates, and the strangest of objects.

It was here somewhere, that much he knew. He tossed one the faded scripts aside and threw open what looked to be a tattered journal, if the nearly illegible handwritten print on its pages gave any indication. Nothing important on the first half – dates, logs of memorable events – but around the last third a page appears, and the hooded figure's head reared back as if his eyes were widening at the finding. He lifted from the chair, scanning the page again for accuracy, then folded down the page's corner before snapping the book shut.

He turned on his heel, moving towards the door. Just one last piece now.

"What do you think you're doing?" The figure's eyes flew up to the door. Sasha leaned off its frame and took careful measured steps towards him.

"I thought you were going to wait outside."

She ignored the comment, purple eyes glowing with magical energy caught sight of the book. "What is it you're truly after?" Electrical streamers began to spark around her. "Answer wisely."

He stood silent for a few moments, and at length a chuckle escaped his mouth. It escalated, growing deeper and darker, until it forced Sasha on the defensive, ready to draw her spell symbol. Then, he simply stopped, released a raspy sigh, and his voice was much different than before. It was strangely younger. More innocent.

"By all means, try. If you think I wouldn't have already taken precautions against you. You've already lost, Sasha, and do you know why?" His statement caused her to flinch, but she did her best to hide the slight waver. "Because I know who you are, where you live, and most importantly…" She didn't have to see his grin to feel it. "Who your loved ones are."

"You think I'll fall for that?" She attempted to downplay it, face growing cold and murderous. "Surely you jest. No matter how large your organization is, you couldn't possibly get away with attacking the witches."

"I never planned to harm the witches…" His hands reached up to grip the rim of his hood, and the vitality drained from Sasha's visage as she gazed into his face. At that, he began his raspy laugh one again, the youthful voice now deforming back into the menacing, soul-disturbing one from before. "…not when your real brother and sister are so much easier to reach. They make more…_effective_ examples."

Her body trembled continuously, eyes locked on his until the hood shielded them again. Her mind ran through quick countless scenarios of what she could do right now. And every one of them fell short. She waited as long as she could, until he solicited a response. She squeezed her eyes shut in regret, and her arms fell with the magic she'd been gathering.

"I'll do what you want. Just don't touch either of them."

"Good. You're not a fool after all." He stepped towards her, reaching into a pocket in his coat to bring out a jeweled necklace whose links seemed to be made of some cartilage or bone. It was hard to differentiate them. "Wear this. If you take it off, reveal anything you shouldn't, or disobey an order, I'll know immediately." He paused, presumably to consider. "And I suppose your siblings will too."

She masked her face in stoic indifference, but violently snatched the necklace away from him. She glanced at it for a moment, and cursed under her breath as she realized he had probably planned to manipulate her from the very beginning. When she'd fastened it around her neck, she looked back to him. "Is that all?"

"For now." He answered, walking past her. "Just lay low. I'll contact you when I need you." He stopped at the door and craned his head enough to catch her in his peripheral vision as she spoke calmly to him.

"Don't you dare touch my sisters. If you do anything to harm them, I swear I'll kill you myself."

"Noted." He cocked a smirk, and his breath came out in a low hiss just as he left the room."Pleasant dreams, Sasha Gryphonbane."


	13. Silence

**AN: This chapter is also a break/setup. Next few chapters promise to have a lot of developments, so look forward to it!**

**Also, for future reference. Whenever I say class, I usually mean the group of people that are in your grade that you have the same classes with. Like Runewarden Class. Schools will mean Storm, Life, Ice, etc. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Thirteenth Pip: Silence**

* * *

"Oww!"

Aria Nightingale's shrill cry climbed up the high ceilings of the room, echoing around before fading from existence. She soon settled back down, and the ornate comb in Victoria's hand returned to her hair after picking out the stray strands, intent on making the Theurgist presentable.

"Just…just hold still." The blonde began to console, amidst more vocal manifestations of discomfort. "It'll be over in a few seconds." Aria conceded with a lackluster sigh, and gave up resisting, knowing this was already a lost cause.

The two girls continued the rituals, straightening Aria's hair into something fit for their night on the town, giving her light touches of makeup where needed, and adjusting the details of the scarlet haired girl's evening dress; a gown the wearer made sure to show her discomfort for. Victoria ignored it though. After all the effort it took to get the blind girl's appearance decent, she was going to wear it. The blonde adopted her own outfit—a simple crimson cotton dress with a white shawl draped over her shoulders. Her favorite part of her admittedly plain ensemble, though, had to be the sparkling red shoes masking her feet. Courtesy of the good will of Dorothy Gale from Sunchaser class. Victoria made a note to buy a pair herself one day.

With her approval for both her and Aria's appearance—being blind made you strangely disinterested in that stuff—the two left the room, moving into the hallway and pedaling down the grand staircase into the Ashthorn Manor's main hall. Complete with polished marble tile floors, walls littered with picture frames, and a gilded chandelier the size of Victoria's closet. The place always amazed her every time she came here, but mostly how Malorn Ashthorn never seemed to brag about his family's wealth and influence. Never once in the many years she and Ty had known him.

Ty Stormwhisper himself, along with Tala Mythhammer and Fate Evergreen, stood at the bottom of the staircase, the latter of the three staring mystified in Victoria's direction as she descended. All three sported typical staples of the Marleybonian wardrobe. Blazers in different dark shades, polished shoes, ties. Fortunate enough that Malorn was close enough to their own sizes.

"Alright, everyone ready?" Victoria asked as her shoe touched down on the last step.

"Yeah." Ty responded, already turning towards the door. "Now let's go. It starts in half an hour."

The group of five moved through the long courtyard, past its freshly trimmed grass and spewing fountains, into a black wheeled carriage on the other side of the gate. Who they presumed was the driver cracked open the door and they filed in one by one, girls and guys on opposite sides, before the man returned to the front. With a crack of the reins and the startled call of the coffee-brown chestnut pony, they were off.

It'd been a normal day like any other this morning. Except for when Malorn Ashthorn stepped into Victoria, Tala, and Fate's homeroom bearing a certain gift for each of the three. A ticket to a performance at the Fireglobe Theater; saying he had three extras he didn't want to go to waste. He left just as quickly, leaving the trio to a slew of jealous stares and piercing questions by the majority of their classmates. Only the timely interjection of Mr. Runewarden bought them peace, but even he had his curious side.

Word soon spread like wildfire around first year, as with all other happenings of any above-mediocre importance. It wasn't particularly uncommon for first years to be friends with upperclassmen. But to be invited to a performance by the most well-known Journeyman Wizard in Wizard City, much less Ravenwood, tended to get you attention.

Their carriage wheels sputtered over the cobblestone streets, street lamps flickering on as the late afternoon descended into the evening. Streets were clear enough at this time to provide little interference for their travels. To pass the time and break the comfortable silence that wasn't all that comfortable to her, Victoria decided to strike up conversation. "So how do you know Malorn, Aria?"

"Oh, well he's in my class." In retrospect, Victoria didn't know why she didn't realize that sooner, but the Life students follow up eased her self-conceived mistake. "Also, my sister is a part of the staff, so I get tickets to whatever I want usually."

"I didn't know that Malorn was a musician." Fate remarked.

"Same with me." Tala admitted, shrugging. "I didn't even know he was rich."

"The Ashthorn's are one of those rich noble families. Of course for all that wealth, they never gave us food whenever we asked." Ty's tone became more disinterested, leaning back in his seat and staring up towards the ceiling. As if reminiscing. "He's always been practicing, ever since we were young. He really loves to play."

Tala wasn't surprised to learn that he didn't know of them. His and Remus's home back in Cyclops Lane wasn't in the most upscale of neighborhoods, enough that he'd associate with any of the wealthier citizens in their city.

The remaining twenty minutes to their destination passed by rather quickly, if only for the lingering sense of urgency speeding up their discernment of time. By the time Fate peeked out the carriage window again, the landscape was turning strangely…red. The stonework, buildings, even the leaves of bushes held a crimson, fiery tint to them. The cracks between stones strangely reminiscent of magma veins flowing charred rock. Even on his first visit, it was clear as day that this was Firecat Alley.

A growing elven population accompanied their journey deeper into the heart of the neighborhood, to where they came close to outnumbering every other race of being combined. Humans weren't shy either, coming in close second, especially dense around the group's intended destination.

The Fireglobe Theater was quite the marvel up close, and grew more impressive as the carriage discharged them and they stepped into the main hall. Burgundy-hued draperies cascaded down along the walls from the rims of the high domed ceiling, canvassed in a mural of dancing flames. All manner of well-dressed individuals crowded the space, sipping on wine gleaned from sanctioned vineyards and passed around on trays by butlers. The numerous sets of doors into the auditorium were already open when they arrived, and patrons were trickling in, eager to experience the night's main event.

Victoria grabbed Aria's wrist—the girl had to be so confused with all this commotion—and the group found a helpful attended that scanned their tickets and led them to the right seats. All were surprised to have received a balcony of all things, complete with just enough chairs for their group. The attendant double checked with each of them, and left to retrieve beverages upon request.

The curtain rose within a few minutes, and the tumultuous crowd below descended into complete silence as everything went dark. The director, encased in his own ray of stage light, tapped his wand against his stand, and then his arms were gesturing, altering every moment.

More stage lights began to flicker on, one by one, illuminating the orchestra members as their instruments weaved into the tune. Then, it suddenly cut off. Seconds passed in anticipation, and without warning every light turned back on in unison, the instruments bursting into a fantastical symphony and eliciting quite the many cheers.

The entire scene was breathtaking. Multicolored, spectral figures came into being, dancing on rhythm with the performance and acting out the emotions of the piece with their movements. None of the group had ever seen anything like this before. It was truly a treat for the wealthy and influential to enjoy.

Then, suddenly, Fate's face registered an epiphany, and he glanced over to Aria who sat on his left. She was missing out on the show. To his surprise and subsequent gladness, though, her eyes were shut, simply taking in the peaks and troughs of the music. She didn't seem at all displeased or hindered by her blindness. Seeing the subtle smile on her face prompted him to try her method, and he found it much easier to enjoy the music without his sight than with.

The orchestra danced through the remainder of their tunes with precision. Sweeping symphonies, mincing minuets; some pieces even borrowing traditional sounds of other worlds' cultures. It was a magical journey for them, for everyone, and at the end each musician was allowed a bow set to thunderous applause before the curtain fell with the lights.

"I think Malorn is up next." Tala claimed in a whisper after a few minutes, squinting through the dark at his playbill.

The boy's prediction came true ten minutes later, for as the curtain rose, nothing was left on stage save for a single grand piano. Solid black, polished to such perfection that one would mistake it for fine porcelain. Again, the auditorium misplaced its voice when a teenage boy, hair as dark as the night but with grayish accents, approached the instrument and but didn't sit down on the bench just yet. Even from their distance, Ty and Victoria immediately recognize him, his body draped in an expensive Marleybonian tuxedo complete with coattails.

Everyone's heads turns with Malorn's to the back of the stage, and the spotlight focuses on a single figure stepping out onto the stage. The room remained quiet for her, as if frozen in time by her beauty. Scarlet red hair that cascades down her back, a black sleeveless dress that concealed her feet, piercing green eyes that rival Fate's and Aria's.

Malorn passed her a glance and a knowing smirk as she crossed him to the front center of the stage, and she returned with a nod/smile combination. He took his seat as she assumed a gentle standing position, and much of the audience slid forwards on their chairs in anticipation as the delicate notes of a piano broke the stillness.

Her singing is heart-stopping, getting widened eyes out of even Ty, who really only came to support Malorn and free food afterwards. Her voice echoed of a chamber designed without need for vocal enhancers, enrapturing, affecting. Perfect poise, without need of any movement. Her voice was enough to capture every person. It was at this point that Victoria realized. The orchestra was brilliant, but this…this was the reason the house was filled to capacity.

And then, another thought came to her. Red hair, green eyes, face similar in structure to…

As if on cue, Aria whispered to no one in particular without provocation, loud enough for Victoria and Fate to hear. "That's my sister. Prima Nightingale."

"She's…magnificent." Victoria remarked, glancing back and forth between them. Fate heard her, but was too caught up in the performance for it to register.

"Yeah." Aria's eyes were closed again, just listening to her sibling. "She got the voice and the acting talent in the family, so I learned an instrument instead."

The two sat in silence again, allowing Prima to finish the piece, who in turn let the uncomfortably lengthy applause die down before beginning her next song. In time, Victoria worked up the courage to ask "Does she…is…is she blind too?"

The blonde felt she upset her, for Aria's face looked noticeably more distressed. The blonde was confused though when the girl answered "No". She found her answer seconds later. "Though she is gravely ill." Aria's eyes remained focused on her sister, attempting to mask the pain in her voice with neutrality. "She hides it very well during performances, but I can see it."

The attendant entered the balcony, refilled everyone's beverages, and departed with a bow. Victoria glanced between the two sisters throughout the man's visit, noticing the look on Aria's face. A mixture of deep sorrow and pride, two near conflicting emotions. This caused a spark of realization in the blonde's mind. "Is that why you decided to become a Theurgist?"

A nod and a smile. "I've heard the cure for her disease is…complicated. Doctors can't seem to find what's wrong with her." She focused on her sibling once again as the woman finished the song. "Still, I want to find a way to help her."

Aria managed to finish before the auditorium exploded into a standing ovation, and they watched as numerous roses launched from the front most rows onto the stage, Prima giggling and doing her best to catch them. Malorn rose from his chair, grabbed her hand, and together the duo performed a series of bows to increasing applause.

Victoria watched them with a sense of gladness, clapping as much as she could. Her talk with Aria, though, made her wonder. The Theurgist had such a noble reason for choosing her school of magic. A concrete goal, really. And as she recalled how quickly the semester's end was coming upon them, Victoria couldn't help but ponder what magical discipline she was going to follow. Or conversely, which one would choose her.

—o—o—o—o—

Merle Ambrose surveyed the space around him with a cursory glance.

All around him stood a number of Wizard City Guardsmen, one or two wizards amongst their ranks, strewn about over the grassy carpet of the Exseed's chamber. Most didn't actually know what purpose the chamber had served. It was highly classified information after all. At least for the moment, while assassins were still at large.

While he couldn't be completely sure who to trust.

The person-sized Crystal that occupied the center pedestal in the room had been long cleared out after the infiltration by the three children, causing the room to be a bit dimmer since his last visit. Still, the plethora of emerald leaves high up in the dome ceiling gave enough illumination to see, even being in the innermost portions of the Grandfather Tree. The towering treant stood pinned against the wall, eyes shut and lifeless, limbs covered in thin moss, as if it'd never moved before. All noticed it, but assumed it a design of some kind, and returned to their investigation.

Which for now seemed to come up short. "Sorry Headmaster. We've scoured this place from top to bottom. Not a single shred or trace."

The old wizard gave a melancholic sigh, then nodded. But just as he was about to call it off, a figure came zooming in from the room's entrance, beating wings alerting the investigation team to his presence. He slowed haphazardly to barely catch his claws on the staff head clutched in Ambrose's hand.

"Merle." Gamma proclaimed somewhat out of breath, his voice carrying throughout the room. "The team in the treetops says they found something. They've got a reading. Says there are faint traces of portal magic up there."

The man's eyes widened, then suddenly narrowed. "What kind of portal, Gamma?" The owl seemed to pause for a moment, then his voice was cautious and careful.

"It was…a corridor. Witches."

Ambrose didn't move at that. Didn't show surprise. Didn't twitch. But the owl felt the slightest twinge of magical energy burst from him, indiscernible to anyone at a greater distance than he was. At some length he gave the bird a nod and rounded on the personnel behind him, one of the few wizards brought along. A boy with tan skin bordering on light brown and a mop of faded golden hair concealed by a wide brim wizard hat. A deep mauve uniform encompassed him, padded leather hidden under cloth in most every place.

"Rendezvous with the team in the branches. If we are not too late, we may still be able to trace its exit point." Ambrose turned back and began towards the room's entryway. "Do not engage under any circumstance if you find something. I want reconnaissance only until we learn what we're dealing with."

Artur Gryphonbane nodded. "Yes, Headmaster."

—o—o—o—o—

It took the five some time after the performance to finally catch up with Malorn and Prima. Masses of attendees and whatever adoring fans could sneak in overwhelmed them as they took to greet as many as they could in the lobby. Eventually, the staff was forced to usher the majority out, leaving the group a window to speak with them, courtesy of the pair vouching for them to the guards.

"I'm very pleased you could make it." As Victoria envisioned, Prima's speaking voice was very eloquent and soft. "Was it to your liking?"

They all nodded vehemently as Aria stepped up to hug her, a playfully sinister grin on her face. "It was beautiful as always, but you missed that high C near the end."

"Oh no I just hit the wrong key there." Malorn admitted with a chuckle. "I've been a little off lately for some reason."

"I still thought it was good either wa—"

Fate stopped suddenly, eyes going wide and moving continuously, never stopping. Everyone began to look at him strangely as his vision settled on a figure at the other side of the lobby steadily approaching their position.

A girl an inch taller than Aria and around the same age caught the boy's attention. Cropped, solid white hair stopped above her shoulders, and the light blue shade of her irises resembled a coat of ice more than anything else. Both made stark contrasts against the dark color of her skin, as did the ivory evening dress which ended below her knees.

_Journeyman Thaumaturge: Freya Shadowsong _

The temperature around them seemed to drop a few degrees upon her arrival, but no one brought it up. Her hands clasped the stem of a rose, picked of all its thorns, and placed it in the hands of Prima, who thanked her.

"Glad to see you made it." Malorn remarked with a smile before turning to the others. "Everyone, this is Freya from my class."

The group exchanged greetings, which she returned silently with nods until Aria stepped up to her. "Ah you must be the transfer student from Grizzleheim. It's good to finally meet you."

"Likewise." She spoke. Victoria and Tala were put off by how…empty her voice sounded. It wasn't obvious by any means, but the feeling was there. "I'm glad I was able to find time to attend. It was a marvelous experience." Prima thanked her again, and the girl soon excused herself from their small huddle, wishing them safety in returning home for the night.

All watched her exit the door, but musings of her remained in Tala, Victoria, and especially Fate as they and Ty climbed back into the carriage later and set off for the respective homes. No one said anything for a majority of the trip, simply letting the cool night air to pour in through the carriage window and wash away the stuffy feeling left from the theater.

Ty fell asleep soon enough after the group dropped Aria off at the gates of Unicorn Way, saying she'd learned the way from there good enough to walk it blind, which got a laugh out of them. Silence soon reigned over the carriage again, as it did in the now empty streets. Each was absorbed in their own thoughts. Victoria and Tala couldn't quite seem to put a credible reason on their intuition, or even what had set them off about her in the first place.

But Fate could. He didn't share it, though. Not a single word about it as the carriage let Tala off at the Cyclops Lane entrance or when he and Victoria finally returned to their apartment, the carriage zooming off with Ty to let him go at the Ravenwood dorms. Not as they performed their nightly rituals, wished each other a good night, or climbed into their respective beds.

Not as he lay awake in his bed, eyes towards the ceiling. He didn't share the feeling he'd received from her.

The same feeling as the assailant who attacked him and Ty. The same feeling from the Unicorn Way intruders too.

He didn't share it, though. Not one word.


	14. Hunger

**AN: Going into a new arc here. This one and the arc after is where things start really coming together. Also, taking some liberties with character outfits. Not too much a fan of the early level outfits you can get, so I'm just making what I want. Enjoy!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

"_Are you in position?_"

Sasha Gryphonbane's rolled down to the amulet around her neck. Her face twisted into a grimace at the mere sound of the voice emanating from it, dark and raspy. Like a snake. A fitting comparison, she mused. Eventually, she brought the amulet's head to her mouth and spoke into it, keeping her face as concealed as her hooded cloak would allow whilst moving through traffic in the market district. "Almost. I'll be there within the minute."

"_Good. You know what to do when you arrive._"

"Your diversion better be a good one." She noticed quite a few eyes on her as she moved through the crowded streets, particularly from curious guardsman standing off to the sides. Her face was suspiciously concealed, she could admit, but hoods weren't the most uncommon style of clothing in Wizard City. That she also walked and acted like she had nothing to hide must have been enough to persuade them away. Still, she didn't like this many guards around. "Market's crawling with security."

"_Keep focus on your objective, and let me handle mine_. _Contact me when you're in_."

Communication cut off immediately, and she let a bitter sigh escape her mouth. Moments later, her feet stopped at an intersection. As her eyes turned to the left, she spied a large open tunnel, the ends of its raised wrought iron gate sticking out from the top. She began towards it, pulling her cloak tighter around her.

She'd only hoped that she'd brought enough to brace against the unforgiving cold of Colossus Boulevard.

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Fourteenth Pip: Hunger**

* * *

"Why does it have to be so cold?" Victoria managed to get out between the perpetual chattering of her teeth, hunching down as another blast of wind rammed against her coat. "What good does this accomplish?"

"I don't know." Tala shrugged. To his credit, she noticed he didn't seem at all fazed by the extreme temperatures, even though his yellow jacket was as thin as hers. "It does seem kind of strange. Now that you mention it."

"I'll just be glad to get out of this." The girl replied, now rubbing her mitten-covered hands to generate friction. "Next time they ask for a volunteer for this, nobody raises their hand, okay?"

Tala and Fate nodded in unison, and the trio bucked up and continued on.

Being the generous souls they were—with no relation to having nothing substantial to do after their one morning class today—the three of them were sure to agree when Mr. Runewarden approached them with a task. The end of the semester was rapidly encroaching upon them, and with that meant a lot more homework, tests, homework, projects, and homework. Even with how important it was to attend every class this close to year's end, the unthinkable happened to Mindi Pixiecrown.

She got a cold.

And she lives on Colossus Boulevard, Victoria mused. Go figure.

Regardless, to keep her from ruining her fairly decent grade point average by sick days—makeups were virtually impossible to schedule short of dire hospitalization—Herbert compiled most of her work into a take home format. And he wanted one of them to deliver it to her. Not a large problem, really. A quick run by her house before they'd move to Cyclops Lane to study at Tala's place.

It wasn't until they'd stepped into the neighborhood itself that they'd realized how big a chore it really was. They had outerwear, for sure. It was drawing near the end of autumn. But nothing substantial enough to stave off the flurry of ice and snow beating against them now; that just so happened to disperse into a lightly falling snow seconds after they stepped onto Mindi's street. Even mostly undaunted by the cold, or perhaps just masking his disdain, even Tala couldn't help but wonder that the Ice Titan, wherever he was, was getting a kick out of their suffering.

Fate's boots trudged through the snow layered on the stairs leading to the porch, noticing relatively fresh footprints. Hopefully that meant somebody would be there to let them in, on the chance the ill girl was too incapacitated to hear his knock or get out of bed. The knocking soon turned into pounding, and later screaming as Victoria's psyche gave into the freezing temperatures.

"Sorry, guys. Come on in." Susie Gryphonbane of all people pulled open the door, ushering them in. Victoria and Fate ran to crumple in front of the burning fireplace on the far side, shedding layers to better appreciate its warmth. The room was rather cozy. Wood floors underneath patterned rugs. Mahogany furniture no more than a year or two old. A number of sconces all around to provide both light and that extra bit of heat.

Tala hung his jacket and scarf on a nearby tall hat rack, then approached Susie. "What are you doing here, Susie?"

"Oh I just came to check up on Mindi." She said with a smile.

Victoria whipped around at the revelation, eyes pleading. "Please…please tell me you weren't at school before."

Susie didn't understand where this was going, and nodded her head carefully. "Yes I was. I just got here twenty minutes ago." Both the blonde and Fate blinked, and their spirits deflated at once, collapsing onto the ground in a frustrated huff. Confused, she turned to Tala for an answer, whispering. "What's with them?"

"Oh just ignore them." He replied with a shrug, adjusting the paper-wrapped package tucked under his arm. "So where's Mindi? Runewarden has some makeup work for her."

Susie gestured up, and Tala followed her around some admittedly nice furniture to the stairs, motioning for Victoria and Fate to quit griping and follow. The two playfully stuck their tongues out at him, but inevitably did as he said. The upstairs was significantly smaller, holding two rooms and a bathroom and hallway closet in between. Sounds of sneezing drew them to the left room regardless of Susie's guidance, and the opening door revealed two figures.

Mindi lay prone, swathed in blankets with the stereotypical thermometer in her mouth. However, another girl sat on a stool on the opposite side of the bed. A light tan skin tone, hair impossible to see under the jacket hood on her head. Black and grey seemed to be her theme alternating in every aspect of her outfit: jacket, button-up shirt, and skirt with solid leggings that ended in fitted boots. She seemed very…reserved, nervous even.

_Phantomhide Novice Wizard: Penny Dreadful_

As she gingerly placed a compress on Mindi's head, the trio finally recognized her. She was from Phantomhide, one of the other first year classes. Quite a competitive bunch, at least many of their members were. Tala and Victoria at least knew her name from the entrance ceremony, and Fate had seen her in passing at times, particularly at Ambrose's speeches during the exam. They didn't know she was friends with Mindi or Susie, though.

"Tala, Victoria, Fate?" Mindi sneezed and coughed, as if to affirm her ill status. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Homework for you." Tala placed the package on her as Penny silently removed the thermometer, inspecting it. Mindi seemed elated upon reading the note that'd been attached to it, which Tala bothered to explain aloud. "Runewarden didn't want your grades to drop."

"Thanks guys." She said with a smile before suddenly snatching a tissue from the wooden stand beside her. "If you want some snacks, there's a plate of cookies downstairs that Penny made."

All three raised a careful eyebrow, which prompted Susie. "Mindi didn't touch any. I asked too."

The trio conceded at that, figuring they could at least have one for all the calories they burned just to get here. Penny decided to lead them after thoroughly cleansing her hands. It was harder than expected to leave after plopping down on the couches. The warm cozy atmosphere and the gentle tugs on their senses hot tea brought seemed too great a counter to braving that cold once more to go home and study, of all things. What was meant to be a quick snack evolved into pleasant conversation in the living room, and Victoria kept an eye on Penny throughout. Not for any particular reason, just that every few moments or so, the girl's eyes would wander over to Fate and stay there until he looked in her direction. Then, she would turn, as if she hadn't been looking.

This continued for the better part of an hour, during which Mindi felt recovered enough to join them, until Tala felt compelled to get back to their study plans, much to his companions' dismay. It'd turned into a nicer trip than they were expecting, and it was good to talk with classmates outside the confinement of a class schedule. Still, there were things to get done. With that mindset he made his way towards the door, threw on his outerwear, turned the handle, and found himself dumbfounded as he stepped out.

Sickly green skin. Hands wider than an adult human head. Pointed ears and disturbing yellow eyes. A gnarled hodgepodge of teeth any one of Wizard City's dental professionals would shy away from. All encased in a pair of worn shorts supported solely by red suspenders.

The blistering cold wind that hit his body didn't freeze him nearly as badly as the sight of the gobbler standing twenty feet away.

Tala watched it carefully for a time, before its attention drew to the boy. The gazed upon each other, as if in a contest, and then its expression changed. Tala had read enough on gobblers to know they were dangerous, and from his own personal childhood experiences scavenging for food in Cyclops Lane at times, he understood the look on its face all too well.

Hunger.

He didn't give the creature time to react before he was bursting back into the house, door hinges rattling with the slam of the door. Victoria and Fate, who were just now making their way to the door, eyed him suspiciously.

"Tala, what's wrong?" The blonde queried, seeing the anxious look on his face.

"Fate, help me barricade the door."

"Block the door? Wh—"

"Just do it!"

Fate didn't question further and sprung into action. Seeing his friend this distressed was enough to know something was genuinely wrong. The two grabbed the nearest large table they could find, tipping it on its side and pushing it against the door. Next was a nearby wooden hutch, followed by a low cabinet.

"What's the matter with you two?" Susie pestered, the remaining two girls coming from the couches to join them.

"We're in danger." Tala replied without stopping.

"Danger?" Mindi questioned.

Then, the boy paused, turned to them, and said in an even, calm voice. "There's a gobbler outside."

The room went dead silent, and as soon as it did, a large thump hit the door behind the piled furniture, causing it and their bodies to jump slightly. Their heads turned as the thump returned , this time joined by the sound of cracking wood. It continued over and over, each successive one breaking more and more, pushing them back step by step, causing Tala's face to grow more horrified.

Then there was quiet again, and the sudden absence of sound was more disturbing than all the pounding. Everyone paused, standing completely still. Mindi cowered next to Susie and Penny, sneezing before she said "Is…Is it gone?".

A massive green hand burst through the door, through the table reinforcement, and began flailing around, grasping for anything within range as it forced its way in. Screams erupted simultaneously.

Tala and Fate acted quickly. "Go! Get up the stairs! Go!" Nobody stopped to challenge their order, pelting up the stairs as fast as their bodies would allow. Tala and Fate decided to do the same as they realized their barricade would be fruitless. All of them flew into Mindi's room, Tala blessing his good luck that not only did she have a sizeable window, but that it led to a traversable portion of the house's roof.

Being Colossus Boulevard though—perpetually cold outside—it made sense never to have opened the window before. Tala finally gave up on it, grabbed one of the person height candelabrum in the corner, and bashed the glass through. The action elicited a shriek, but the imminent danger of what was probably already downstairs pushed them onto the roof.

They moved out one by one, ladies first. Tala climbed out second to last, and was about to offer Fate a hand up when the shocked gasps of the girls brought his attention around to the surrounding streets below.

One..two…easily over a dozen gobblers. That sickly green as the one on the floor below. A jaundiced yellow here. A pale red there. Some walking about in a sort of gluttonous stupor. Others' ravishing eyes stalking about for something to quench their insatiable appetite.

All effectively blocking any means of their escape.

Mindi asked the golden question. "What's…what's going on?"

The color left Tala's face for a moment, but then he regained his senses as his sight came to rest on the girls beside him. He clenched his fist around the candelabra shaft he'd decided to bring up with him, and he steeled his resolve. Before he could speak though, Fate beat him to the punch.

"Forget about that right now. We have to focus on getting out of here." The emerald eyed boy turned to Tala. "Can you think of anything?"

Tala was surprised at how calm and collected Fate was being right now, and had to shake his head a bit before he could respond. "No, not at the….wait, Mindi!" He rounded on the girl, who looked back at him perplexed. "I know this is a long shot, but do you have any flares in your house? We could try to get a signal off."

Her face scrunched in consideration, and then returned to normal as a thought crossed her mind. "Well I live with my Uncle O'Doyle, who's a Private in the guardsman. I think I've seen something like it in the kitchen before."

Tala perked up at that then turned to Fate, who seemed to catch what he was getting on to. Still, he said it aloud for the girls to understand. "Then that's where we'll start. Fate and I will head back in there. You four stay up here. We'll be right back." The boy shed his jacket, handing it to a lightly dressed Mindi to keep warm, but not his scarf. He might be able to use it for something.

"Wait. If you two are going down there, I'm going too." Victoria said while beginning towards the window, but Fate stopped her halfway.

"No. We need you to stay up here." He looked her straight in the eyes, unwavering, which captured her attention more than anything else had after she first met him. "We'll be right back. Believe in us." It seemed to mean 'believe in me' more, and the strength of his determination eventually caused her to cave.

"If you're not back in a minute, I'm coming down there."

Both boys nodded, and dove back in. Their shoes crunched against the glass shards that had fallen inward onto Mindi's carpet, and then they were moving, pedaling down the stairs. As they hit the floor below, Fate made an immediately left, through the living room into the kitchen. Tala went right and stopped just before the door. The gobblers head and left side were already through and it broke through the barricade with one last heave.

The two watched each other again. Its mouth was dripping with thick saliva acidic enough to scar the wooden floor it touched. Then, it made a jumble of incoherent grunts and sounds as it wobbled quickly over to him, arms outstretched like an undead.

Tala didn't wait for it to move first. He was already coming at it, candelabra held like a bo staff, piercing straight at him. The ends rammed into the beast's stomach, enough to knock it off kilter and backwards, but nothing its elastic-like stomach couldn't absorb. Before the boy could retract it, its hand grabbed onto it, face fascinated. Tala struggled against it, but the gobbler's strength proved to be too much for him to just shake off.

He wasn't about to let it have his only weapon though. He pulled with all his might at a downward angle, and then when it was low enough brought his foot down on its metal length. The sudden force caused it to bend somewhat, but mostly had the desired effect of breaking the gobbler's grip.

With his weapon freed and opponent momentarily confused, he acted. He snatched the candelabra backwards, then followed through with the momentum to smash its candle prong into the gobbler's temple. The green beast let out a howl somewhere between a person and an animal, and it collapsed under its own weight, bleeding from the head but still breathing well.

These things were tough, he'd read before, so he knew it'd be a waste of time trying to kill it with what he had on hand. He saw it twitching a bit already, and rushed to the kitchen just as Fate yanked something from a drawer near the sink. A crimson wand, topped with a red glass-like star. Tala nodded in affirmation, and the duo was moving back up the stairs again as the gobbler began to stir, catching sight of them and scrambling to its feet.

They reached Mindi's room a few seconds ahead of it and pushed up and out the window just as the gobbler entered. The stood perfectly still on either side of the window, not making a single sound that could tip it off about their location. Tala grew nervous, though. He'd heard about gobblers' acute sense of smell, and was sure it'd sniff them out. But then, the gobbler just gave the equivalent of a shrug, scratched its head, and waddled back down the stairs. The two let out a breath they didn't know they were holding. Maybe it was the cold wind outside carrying away their scent. Or Tala could have just bashed it too hard for it to think straight. Either way was fine with them.

"You guys made it!" Susie exclaimed in between shivers, the girls signaling them over to another part of the roof. "Over here!"

"Shhh. It could still hear us." Tala placed a finger over his lips, and she corrected her voice accordingly. He and Fate huddled around the girls, presenting their finding. "We found this in one of the drawers. Looks like the real deal."

Everyone eyed it expectantly, then a puzzled look came to Mindi's face. "Ohhhh….maybe that wasn't what I thought it was…"Everyone blinked, and Tala looked it over once again. His eyes widened in realization as she spoke. "That's the thing Uncle O'Doyle uses to light the fireplace."

"A fireplace lighter? You thought this was a flare wand?"

She nodded carefully, looking as if her eyes were about to tear. "Well I mean uncle rarely uses stuff correctly. How was I supposed to know it was what it was?"

A cold wind filled the silence for a full ten seconds, and before anyone could turn on her, Fate suddenly stood up from his crouch, hands making placating gestures. "Alright, alright. It was one mistake. Forget it. We have to keep thinking. Is there anything else we can do?"

Susie, Mindi, and Penny watched him earnestly before beginning to ponder, but Fate and Victoria couldn't help but just stare at him for a moment. Was this the Fate they knew? When had he gotten so…reliable? Then again, they realized there hadn't been a situation yet where it was required of him. Ty fought off the assailant as far as they were told. Aria singlehandedly solved the Unicorn Way matter. The situation on Cyclops Lane was shut down by Tala before anything major could happen.

But here, Fate was taking charge.

Tala got to work on his question. There'd be time to appreciate it later. "We could probably keep searching, I guess…"

"Wait a second." All eyes turned at Victoria's statement. She grabbed the lighter wand from Tala's hand and turned to Mindi. "Is this the kind that runs on magic?"

The girl nodded. "Yeah. Uncle O'Doyle has me light fires with it sometimes for control practice." Victoria nodded with a confident smile, shifting gaze to Tala.

"What if we pour a ton of magic into it? Think we can make a big enough blast?"

Tala immediately caught on to her plan, eyes shining with promise. "Yeah…yeah that might work. But it'll overload it for sure. You'll only get one shot at this."

"You'll? Wait you want me to do this?"

"You should, Victoria." Susie agreed with Tala. "It was your idea. We've got nothing to lose anyway."

Victoria stared down at the wand, face unsure, and when she looked back up she saw Fate give her a smile and nod. In time she nodded back, grabbed a pair of thick gloves from Tala who suggested shielding her bare hands, held the wand out over the roof, and began to concentrate.

Everyone just watched her. Nothing happened for the first few seconds, and just as Susie was about to speak, the wand began to glow. Gaining brightness by the second. She threw a second palm onto the handle as it begun to shake a morph from a bright light to a scalding red, smoke and small electrical streamers dancing around it. Tala periodically ushered her to contain it, to draw the magical energy in gradually so as not to overload it all at once.

The heat from the wand was already enough to instantly turn the frost on her face into beads of water, indistinguishable from the growing amount of sweat. Fate placed a hand on her shoulder for assurance, focusing on it just as much as she was.

The moment she let out a deep grunt, Tala gave her the signal. "Throw it high! Now!"

She didn't argue, chucking the object with all her might in a lob and checking her hands for any burn damage. Her smoking gloves had absorbed most of it, but she could feel some burning sensation.

Her focus there was short lived, though, as at the peak of its path, the wand let loose a rush of flames and a concussive blast that shook a few roof shingles. The blast radius itself was at least a good fifteen feet across, much higher than any of the houses around them, and by the end of it the wand was nowhere to be seen, pieces probably scattered out of sight.

The blonde collapsed onto her behind, suddenly determining how much colder the roof seemed there than on her feet. A round of congratulations assaulted her, except from Tala, who just continued to stare at the space the blast had once occupied.

The amount of time spent gathering energy. The size of the blast radius. He'd been speculating for a while now about her and couldn't be a hundred percent certain, but with a result like that, there was no longer doubt in his mind.

Only someone with an affinity for fire could have made an explosion that big.

That thought was put off, however, as were the congratulations. In favor of directing their attention to the streets surrounding the house. Dozens of beady, yellow eyes shifted up towards them, and Tala cursed under his breath. That flare was sure to gather the attention they needed from the guards.

And from the gobblers too.

—o—o—o—o—o—

"So that's what you did."

Any inclination of amusement or emotion was absent from Sasha's voice as she peered through her spyglass from the near flat roof of a two story house. At the end of her magnified sight lay Gobblestone Castle, a towering monstrosity of a stone bastion, comprised of tens of thousands of large bricks and layered with snow on every surface and nook angled enough to hold it. However, her attention was drawn to the strange object off to the side, tucked in a corner near Hildreth's Perch.

A series of interconnected bones formed a wide arch, enough for a tall creature to squeeze through. Swirling black-purple energies curled and churned at the center of the arch.

A rift, just like the ones she always created.

At its sides on the ground sat plates of incense, faint traces of smoke wafting around the area from what she could see. Every few minutes or so, she would see a flicker in the portal energy and a gobbler would meander out onto solid ground, confused as it looked down to see the incense plates.

She continued. "The gate provides the entrance and the scent attracts them." When she'd seen enough, she lowered the spyglass, anything but amused. "The incense, the portal. You stole quite a few things from Stormdrain, didn't you?"

"_Perhaps_." The voice from her amulet replied. "_The gobblers should be causing enough damage for you to slip in unnoticed. Get to it._"

Again, he was gone without so much as a goodbye. She collapsed the spyglass and placed it in her leather shoulder bag, made sure her cloak was situated properly, and gathered some magical energy in her legs. Then, she was leaping, clearing the gap between her roof and the next with ease. She continued on like that, hopping roof to roof without a sliver of nervousness or concern for how precarious her acrobatics were.

Her eyes were focused solely on the tower in the distance. Her objective.

Briskbreeze Prison.


	15. Reinforcements

**AN: And here's part two of the Colossus Boulevard arc. I decided to make it different from the game, since I didn't want a straight rehash. Overall, I was pleased by how it turned out. Enjoy!  
**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

"Captain!" Rosencranz turned his attention to the rapidly approaching man, a dark skinned guardsman with a worried, near petrified look on his face. The guardsman came to a staggering halt just before his superior, giving himself a few moments to catch his breath before continuing. "Captain Rosencranz. I was just told there's a situation on Colossus Boulevard?"

The bearded man nodded gravely, motioning to the group of guards around him to head on in through the gate. "Yes, Private O'Doyle. Escaping civilians and our advanced teams have confirmed sight of gobblers. We also caught sight of what's sure to be a flare just a few minutes ago…from the direction of your house."

O'Doyle's face grew noticeably paler at the revelation, as if the blood drained from his face at once. "Mindi…Mindi! Captain I have to go after her. Let me go in after her."

The man placed a hand on his shoulder to console him. "Stay with me, O'Doyle. You must remain calm." Rosencranz watched him carefully until the man gave him a confirming nod. "I want you on the next platoon in. Evacuation and containment are our priorities right now."

"But who will deal with the gobbler's sir?"

Even in the dire situation, Rosencranz couldn't help but manage the faintest of smiles.

"Get moving, soldier. You'll find out soon enough."

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Fifteenth Pip: Reinforcements**

* * *

"Keep moving!"

Tala's words seemed to keep the group's spirits alive enough to press onward, even under their rising fatigue and the aching cold of Colossus Boulevard.

By this point, staying in one place had lost its viability as an option. Victoria's makeshift flare had done the job, but now every gobbler in the immediate area, and even some not, now knew their position. There were a few beasts that didn't pay it mind, content to terrorize the escaping denizens around them, but most weren't around anything more captivating than that bright flash of light and fire.

And the salivating thought of six young wizards.

Worst of all, they could climb. Admittedly not well though. Lethargy or general lack of motor coordination, it was unsure, but a great boon to the party's morale. It gave them enough time to cross the close, mostly flat roofs of this area of the neighborhood with haste. Despite their climbing pursuers, the streets were still too crowded with the gluttonous creatures to traverse safely in such numbers.

They landed on a particularly flat roof after one sizable leap of faith, the initial jumper Fate assisting in catching the girls as they followed in his footsteps. They came over one by one with Tala finishing up the procession, and a calm moment swathed over them, everyone falling to their knees for a break as a quick survey showed no immediate threat of gobblers. They were below on the street—they could hear them for sure—but they must have managed to evade detection for now.

Mindi was the first to stand, some of the others collapsing and huddling to keep warm, and began to trot around the roof. Nothing of interest, save for the domed skylight in the center whose glass shined in the near afternoon sunlight. "I'm pretty sure we're on top of Kirby's Ice Cream Shop."

"Question is how do we get down?" Susie remarked, also glancing around from her position next to Victoria. The roof they'd leaped from was at least half a story taller than their current roof, and the ice cream shop sat at a wide intersection. The only way off the roof was down into the shop.

A shrill cry from Mindi, who had absentmindedly decided to gaze down into the shop through the skylight, brought their attention over to her. She backed up from the skylight, shaking slightly. "I…don't think we're getting down through there."

Fate, Tala, Victoria, and Penny crept carefully to the skylight, cautious from Mindi's reaction. Gobblers, helping themselves to gallons of ice cream behind the front counter and in the treat displays. There were only four of them on recount, but there was no telling if others were somewhere else in the building.

The four backed up slowly to keep from drawing attention, Tala cursing under his breath at their ill luck. They sat there for a few moments before Penny said in a calm, but worried voice. "We're…we're trapped."

"What…what do we do?" Susie's voice was just above a whisper, and all the more fearful.

Another span of silence passed. Tala glanced around at them, watching his other companions' faces grow despondent, some more than others. Fate's face caught his eye, though. It was reserved, unmoving, and his eyes were locked onto his own. The boy held his gaze for a full three seconds, then suddenly both smiled apologetically, nodding as one at some silent agreement between them. The two boys staggered to their feet, silently walking back to the skylight.

Much to Victoria's confusion. "What are you two doing?"

"Making a distraction." Fate offered at length.

Victoria was skeptical. "…with what?" Neither of the two boys answered, instead taking a few more steps towards the skylight. Her eyes widened with realization, and only the imminent threat of the gobblers below kept her yells at a whisper. "No…no..are you two crazy! I let you go back for the flare before, but I won't let you do something this suicidal!"

"We don't have a choice." Tala said evenly, with a sigh. "The gobblers could find us up here well before someone can answer the flare."

"Victoria's right. We can't let you two do that." Susie jumped in, standing to her feet in defiance. Her voice was more concerned than angry. "We won't let you throw yourselves away just to save us."

Fate turned around after a time. "We won't be saving you. You four will be the ones saving us." Confused eyes all around prompted an explanation from him. "Tala and I are just going to draw them away. That's when the four of you slip past and go search for help." He offered a smile. "We'll be counting on you to bring someone back."

"We'll stay out of trouble." Tala tacked on. "We're no fools."

"I highly doubt both of the things you just said." Victoria finally said with a sigh and shrug combination, moving towards them and placing a hand Tala's shoulder. "Something tells me you two are dead set on this no matter what we say." Two successive nods, and another sigh. "Fine. Then we'll play along. But after this I'm wringing both of your necks out for this."

Tala and Fate managed a small grin at each other. "Fair enough."

Then, they moved to the skylight, unlatched the bolt securing it while ignoring the stinging cold of its metal, and pulled it open gently enough to not make a sound. The two got on either side of it, ready to jump down at a moment's notice. A cold sweat broke out on the skin on their face, as two of the gobblers passed under and came to a disorientated stop, one passing out onto the floor face down.

Tala nodded to Victoria, who handed him the candelabra he'd brought with him from Mindi's house, figuring it was their most efficient weapon at the moment. The other three girls watched them one last time, whispering good lucks, which they returned with convincing but false smiles. Only Victoria could tell they weren't real, but at this point she decided not to bring it up.

The two boys gave each other one last nod, then Tala pointed out the order of their targets and counted to three. On the last number, they moved and fell through the hole. Fortunate enough on a variety of fronts.

Both of them got the jump on unsuspecting enemies, Fate landing square on the spinal cord of the unconscious one on the floor. Tala's feet found their mark on a standing gobbler's shoulders, forcing the green beast down and causing his skull to smack against the tiled floor. The resultant crunch from both of the impacts sent shivers even up the girls' spines.

The boys didn't revel in their immediate victory, instantly shooting into motion. The remaining two gobblers behind the counter tops were still gorging on pails of ice cream when they were alerted to the boys' presence, and their eyes widened with delight. Thoughts of engaging, though, were drowned out by the promise to Victoria moments ago, and they quickly turned on their heels to bolt out the door. The gobblers gave chase, slowed by the lag of their recent meal, giving the boys ample time to make it out on the street and cut across.

The girls peered over the roof's edge, watching the growing number of gobblers join in the pursuit and vanish around the corner of a building on the other side. The four waited a moment, double checking the streets, and when they were sure it was empty, they moved to the skylight.

"Alright, we don't know how long they can evade them all, so we have to move fast." Victoria took charge and took hold of the scarf Tala had given her, hooked its tightly woven threads around a hook on the skylight, and let it drop down. There was still a long way to the floor, but every inch counted for them.

The girls were all down within a minute and a half. Victoria continued, sizing everyone up to make sure they were all still okay. "Does anybody know someone who can help us?"

"Kald Ironclaws." Penny said after a few moments. "He only lives a few blocks away, and he's on the way to the neighborhood gate."

Victoria nodded. It was at least something to work with. "Alright, let's get going."

The girls moved in a tight pack, exiting the ice cream shop and heading the opposite direction that Tala and Fate had gone. After half a minute of traveling, Mindi spoke aloud to all three of them, her voice a little surprised. "It's strange."

"What is?"

"I never…I never knew Tala and Fate were so…dependable."

Susie, Victoria, and Penny didn't stop moving, but the former two pondered the thought for a moment. Then, a small smile came to Victoria's face, clearly expressed in her words.

"Neither did I."

—o—o—o—o—o—

The base end of the candelabra came swinging around from the right, smashing into the gobbler's right pointed ear. The creature didn't have time to let out any sounds of anguish before it collapsed to the snow-laden cobblestone beneath, not to arise any time soon.

Tala ran over the downed, unconscious body of his opponent and to the small boy cowering in the corner, tears still staining his cheeks. He offered him a hand, which the little one took quickly, and passed him along to Fate to carry on his back. Then their group was moving again, down the street, a quintet of gobblers from the ice cream shop operation hot on their trail.

They'd managed to evade capture so far through quite a number of threatening experiences, helping any civilians they'd come across along the way for the past third of an hour. It'd been quite heartrending every time they'd have to explain to the ones who asked that even though they were wizards, they couldn't fight off the gobblers. The citizens were grateful for the help regardless, but it didn't stop the two from lamenting at their own worthlessness.

How much they could have done here. How many more they could have saved had this incident happened a little later, when they could do more than just run and hide.

"This way." Fate shouted, spying a rather narrow alleyway just off the sidewalk they treaded.

A sharp left placed them within its confines, and they zoomed down as fast as they could. A few stacked crates and some sort of solid pipe cylinder lay just before a twelve foot brick wall which seemed to divide the alleyway in half.

Fate began to use the crates as stepping stones to get over the wall, seeing no other way to escape their pursuers, who had just reached the alley's entrance. The emerald eyed boy used the tall cylinder as his last step before clearing the wall, landing on his feet with the child on his back, both fine.

Tala followed the idea, but instead of clearing it, he stood atop the wall of bricks. Then, he wedged the candelabra in the inch of space between the cylinder and the wall to use it as a fulcrum, and pushed down with all his might. He pushed again and again, each second the gobblers gaining ground on him while Fate called out to go ahead and jump.

He let out a grunt of relief as he reached a breakthrough. His last push was enough to knock the standing cylinder off balance. The metal object tilted forwards, the gobblers who were some ways up the stack of boxes gasping and calling incoherently as gravity took over and brought it down on top of them. Tala didn't stick around to see how many he nabbed with his improvisation. Just a passing thought about being glad they were all brawn and little brain.

He leaped down onto Fate's side to see his companion staring at the end of the alleyway in fear.

Where two more gobblers, both a pale red and far more imposing, peeked their heads around the corner and unceremoniously licked their lips.

"This is bad." Tala said aloud, regretting his earlier comment. Not so much because they were trapped, but these red ones looked more alert than the usual variety. More intelligent.

"Any ideas?" Fate asked out of habit than actual hope. The boy on his back coiled his arms tightly around the wizard's neck.

Tala didn't nod, but simply said. "Bust through. And don't turn back."

The red gobblers crept closer. Carefully, watching them. It took Fate a moment to get what Tala meant, and when he did, he reluctantly breathed out. "Alright."

Whoever got through left the other behind, and took the kid with them.

The two gobblers were bursting into motion as the two novice wizards did, the latter duo coming in low to gain any semblance of streamlining they could muster. But just as Tala predicted, the red brand were no pushovers. They came to a halt midway and spread their stances on instinct, seeing their prey trying to veer around them at the sides near the building walls.

Fate adjusted accordingly, seeing the chance to at least get his precious cargo out of there. The slightest of alterations, at the moment the gobbler closest to him shifted towards the wall, placed his trajectory back towards the middle were a gap sizable enough for his tastes lay ripe for the picking.

He didn't stop to bunch his legs as the gobblers ascertained what he was doing. He simply barreled on through, leaping as best he could with the child on his back, trying to twist his body so that same child wouldn't get clipped by one of the beasts. His haphazard twist proved enough to intercept a flat chop by the right gobbler, right in his midsection. Luckily, the blow's momentum wasn't enough to knock him off course, and he and the boy skidded to a halt along the snowed path behind the gobblers.

"Don't stop!" Tala called out, Fate immediately jumping up and getting the child on his feet. Meanwhile, Tala thrust his candelabra forward like a spear, hoping to inflict some sort of damage in one of the gobbler's upper chest.

Instead, the creature leaned back enough to absorb the blow without falling over, his wide hand coming up simultaneously to grab its length. The two battled for dominance of the weapon for a few moments, the wizard realizing that what this breed of gobbler gained in intelligence, they lost in pure strength.

In teams of two, though, it would not help him much. The second gobbler Fate managed to pass decided to forgo his target in favor of assisting in the struggle against Tala, balling its fist up to deliver a blow straight in the boy's face.

Tala recoiled, stumbling onto his back and catching his bleeding nose with his hand. His head came up to see both beasts stalking towards him again, one crunching the remains of the candelabra in his mouth before swallowing it hungrily. The other reached down quickly and grabbed the boy's ankle, dragging his foot towards its awaiting mouth.

Tala's eyes closed, and his tattoos snaked out from his eyes, slithering down his skin to his arms. His hands inadvertently grabbed hold of trash, an empty glass bottle, in the alleyway, and on instinct more than anything else he flung it right at the creature's eye. The glass shattered, and a fierce cry of anguish echoed off the alley walls as it dropped his ankle and reared back. Before it could even finish that, a wooden crate crashed into the back of its head, causing it to double over onto the ground. Tala looked up to see Fate standing, a smirk across his face, hoisting a second crate to throw.

The cry of the wounded gobbler morphed and twisted into one of pure anger, and its skin darkened from a pale red into a near crimson, as if its blood was boiling. It motioned to its counterpart and pointed at Fate, and it nodded to confirm the order. Tala and Fate each took steps back, both breathing, hoping they were ready for whatever was coming their way.

—o—o—o—o—o—

"There's his house. Right over there." Victoria angled her head in the same direction of Penny's finger, and the group as a whole veered off the road in accordance. At the end of their short trip across the street, pushing through the scarce number of fleeing citizens who'd managed to escape their homes, they found a quaint, one story stone house.

Susie was the first to reach it, throwing courtesy to the wind and shooting her hand straight for the door handle. Her struggle was short, though. It was already open, and a strange substance she hadn't noticed in her haste stuck to it.

Penny gasped as all of them recognized it.

Blood.

"Kald! Kald!" The Phantomhide wizard's voice echoed off the walls of his living room as she burst through the door in a panic, the most animated Victoria had seen her yet. "Where are you, Kald! Please be alri—"

Her voice cut off as her foot touched down onto something. Soft, elastic. Like skin. Her eyes moved downward as the other girls' surveyed the room. A coating of fresh blood lay splattered on almost everything: the walls, the thick wooden seats, the wildclaw-skin rug strewn across the living room floor. And underneath the highest concentration of blood at the room's center, two bodies lay, distinguishable only upon closer inspection.

"….Gobblers?" Susie breathed out in surprise.

Suddenly, all four of their eyes flew up as a sound came from the next room over. They stood frozen, on edge against but not prepared for the leathery red skin of the gobbler's body that first entered their vision.

But just as they were about to bolt back for the door, the rest of the figure came through. The red gobbler's body dropped to the ground, eyes rolled back and entire being devoid of life other than the murky crimson liquid that spilled forth from its distended abdomen. Then, a hulking body stepped through door as well, moving past it to come out in full view.

Victoria hadn't seen many bears up close, but she could say with some assurance that she'd never encountered one so large before, the topmost hairs of its head nearly brushing the ceiling. Its dark fur was barely illuminated by the sparse candlelight in the room, but the light danced around in his ferocious golden eyes. They could easily see blood matting the fur on his upper arm, leaking through to the ground, which he tried to curtail by wrapping a series of cloths around it.

_Phantomhide Novice Wizard: Kald Ironclaws_

"Kald!" Penny called out in a mix of elation and worry, noticing the state of his arm. "Are you okay? What happened in here?"

"…This is Kald?" Victoria asked dryly to no one in particular, still marveling at the Grizzleheim native. In hindsight, she'd vaguely remembered seeing a bear on Phantomhide's side during the exam, but she hadn't given it much thought then.

"I was preparing fish for tonight's meal, listening to the audiograph broadcast." He began, voice nearing bass. His eyes angled downward towards the various gobbler bodies on his floor. "The next thing I realize, these creatures break into my home and attack me while my back is turned. Spineless cowards managed to get my arm before the last one got away."

The revelation causes the three Runewarden girls to go silent. One of them bit off his part of his arm, and he still managed to take down three of them. Without help. And because he was in first semester like them, without any significant magic as well. Victoria silently thanked Bartleby for the turn of good luck his emergence brought.

"Let them go for now, Kald." Penny ushered, wrapping more bandages around the injury, trying to limit the blood loss more than care for any damage it was doing to his flesh. "You did well already."

"Reports say it's rough out there." The grizzly remarked, pointing his finger to the wooden audio graph in the corner, a constant static blaring through its speaker with varying intervals of what sounded like words. He noticed the overall neatness of their clothes and lack of damage. "You girls made it through pretty well yourselves."

Their faces dropped at that a little, and Mindi explained solemnly. "Two of our friends, Tala and Fate. They became decoys so we could get away safely."

"That's why we need to go now." Victoria added. "We still have to find some guards and go back for them as soon as we can."

"We may not need to." Kald returned calmly, causing all their eyes to widen. Victoria shook for a second, then here eyes narrowed in anger. How could they not go after them? Just as she was about to yell, he stood up and walked over to the audio graph, adjusting its dial until a voice could at least be made out through the static. "This has been playing for a while now."

"_Can…can anyone hear me? …..zzzz…..anyone….anyone on….colossus boulevard…zzz…who can hear this message…_" Mindi recognized the voice. Captain Rosencranz. Uncle O'Doyle had invited him over for dinner plenty of times in the past. "_Please….Please make your way to the….gate immediately. A….c-c-c-contingent of…zzzz…..guardsmen and…..wizards has been….zzz….dispatched to deal with the…..g-g-gobblers. I repeat…..w-w-w-we have….zzzz….wizards on the ground….._"

Kald's voice filled the silence the end of the broadcast left behind. "Your friends may already be safe and sound." His mouth split in what Victoria assumed to be a smirk, one she matched with a reserved but still worried smile, nodding as he continued. "Still, let us not tempt providence this day. Shall we be off?"

—o—o—o—o—o—

For the first few seconds, Tala and Fate weren't sure what'd happened at all.

One moment, the two gobblers were nearly back to back, taking steps one at a time towards the two, a deranged look on Tala's gobbler.

And then, for one second, there was perfect silence.

As a figure dropped down from the roof above them and appeared between the two gobblers.

Fate and Tala couldn't quite make it out in that span of time, for as soon as it made itself known, it was gone in a single flurry. The next thing they knew, the belly of the gobbler eyeing Tala was rolling his eyes down to the curved blade of ice protruding from his abdomen, not melting in the slightest from the coat of warm blood sheathing its length.

Then, it was gone again, or moving so fast they just couldn't see it.

The gobbler marching towards Fate turned around at the sound of his partner doubling over onto the ground, and suddenly a gash bisected his front from left shoulder to right hip. He collapsed as well, screaming in more agony than his partner ever had, who was dead even before he touched down.

As he fell, their eyes caught up to the figure again, and widened as they lay eyes on her form.

Bathed in white purer than the snow below her feet. Her hood, fitted vest, long sleeved shirt, and pants all rimmed and decorated with the light blue accents of the School of Ice. A similar icy blue sarong ended in a rim of actual feathers around her knees, secured around her waist by a number of belts. In her hands lay her weapon of choice: a fine metal pole slightly taller than herself. The same curved blade of ice that ended the gobbler lay at one of its ends, and together the entire weapon resembled a scythe.

As she rose from her finishing stance to stand straight, Tala caught sight of the two light blue angel wings emblazoned on the back of her vest. On the other side, Fate caught sight of her face.

"You're…."

"Freya Shadowsong." Tala's tattoos receded back into the imprinted eye on his forehead, causing him to have to stagger to his feet. "From the other night. At Fireglobe Theater."

She nodded reservedly, voice even and practiced. "You must be Malorn's friends."

"Thanks…for the save there." Fate said, approaching them and watching her very carefully. He held out his hand to shake, and she accepted without any visible emotion. He waited a few seconds, just inspecting her.

Nothing, not a single shred of the feeling he got from her that night. He released a breath as she nodded at his earlier thanks.

"Not that I'm complaining, but what are you doing all the way out here?" Tala asked.

"Answering a distress signal." She said simply. "There were reports of a flare in the area around here. I was sent out on my own to inspect it while the others handled the situation."

Tala and Fate's eyes brightened. Victoria's flare really had gotten some attention after all, and it'd even ended up saving them too. Then, Fate adopted a perplexed look, turning back to her. "Others?"

She nodded again. "Yes. Every available hand in our class was brought out to contain the gobblers."

—o—o—o—o—o—

"My plants won't grow here very well." Aria Nightingale admitted from her perch at the edge of a flat second story roof, legs dangling off the sides and bundled up in a forest green jacket. She absentmindedly tuned her sitar as a multitude of gobblers in the street picked up her presence above them and began to congregate below.

"That's alright." A female voice said perkily from behind her, stepping up into the very fringes of her periphery. "We'll handle it."

Shoulder length blonde hair twisted into cyclonic curls, almost bleached, and a pair of black glasses framed her blue eyes. A mauve colored coat rested over a white tanktop emblazoned with purple storm symbols, and black leggings shielded against the cold where her mauve ruffled skirt couldn't defend. Her oddest feature was perhaps the staff in her hand. A long metal pole that she gripped with black fingerless gloves, but at its peak sat a large steel ring easily wider than her head.

_Witherseed Journeyman Diviner: Carla Marangoni_

"Just play us a nice tune or something." Said a boy with a grin from the other side of Aria's shoulder. Black hair whose curls seemed natural as opposed to Carla's. A leopard print button up shirt underneath a full black coat whose edges were rimed with wild fur, and somewhat loose fitting black leather pants. His hands, adorned with many gilded rings, were constantly moving, shuffling and reshuffling the deck of cards they contained.

_Witherseed Journeyman Pyromancer: Jack Blackheart_

Aria shrugged at the suggestion. "Sure. Whatever."

Her fingers eased into motion on the sitar, plucking, sliding at all times, never resting. Any gobblers in the area who hadn't been conscious of the trio's presence before were all too aware now. Jack counted the beasts as a few stragglers waddled up. "About eighteen, give or take." He glanced over to Carla, giving her a mock bow. "Ladies first, of course."

She playfully rolled her eyes, then brought her staff in front of her body to where its large ring and her face where on the same level. Her eyelids closed and she began to gather magical energy, her two companions feeling the invisible power waft off her skin. As she did, something began to happen on the ring. A watery, near slimy substance began to gather on the inside edges, building up towards the middle until a solid clear film lay across it.

Then she brought her face close, and breathed out deeply, her lung capacity much greater than should be possible for a human, though the other two assumed magic's hand. The film stretched, gaining width and depth, until it finally snapped off into a translucent bubble roughly the size of her head. It wafted outward, floating aimlessly at a near untraceable downward incline, joined by another of its kin with every few passing seconds.

Then, the group began floating downwards, gently, like snowflakes, and the gobblers seemed entranced by them. One even reached out and plucked it out of the air, the orb not popping no matter the pressure he placed upon it. Then, he licked his lips, and let the bubble slip down his throat, as did a few of his brethren around him.

"Oh….did they actually eat those?" Jack pondered in disbelief. He turned to Carla, who brought her hand up after every bubble had been ingested or found a spot on the ground.

Then, her fingers made a solitary snap.

Every bubble went off at once. There was no fire, only a single concussive blast of water and wind that tore apart everything within its span. The gobblers' toughened bodies managed to keep from dissolving entirely, but those who had ingested one had clear, large holes in various places around the chest, and they fell limp to the ground, their body unable to take the strain of the force. Others just near the bubbles had patches of skin and flesh ripped away, some losing an entire arm or leg.

Aria stopped playing, giving the scene a disconcerting look. "I…think you may have made them a little too powerful…"

"Oooh…" She agreed, adjusting her glasses and wincing. "Well I'll fix that with the next batch then." She brought her bubble wand staff to her face again, but this time Jack held out a hand, his face like Aria's.

"Yeah, maybe you should just put that away."

—o—o—o—o—o—

The skeleton's scimitar gleamed naked in the afternoon sunlight as he raised it high into the air, clasped in the frame of what was once his fleshly hand. His arm came down, and the weapon with it, smashing down on the shoulder of the gobbler ahead of him, earning a cry of pain as blood spurted forth and stained his sun bleached white bones.

The skeleton did not stop to celebrate his victory over the creature. None of the five of his brethren marching in the area around him did after theirs. They only heeded the command of their creator, the one who breathed movement into their joints, sitting atop the shoulder of the towering creature behind them.

"Thanks for the ride, Professor Greyrose." Malorn Ashthorn remarked from his seat atop the animated ice that was the colossus, standing a head taller than the two story buildings they scoped out for any stragglers. The earth shook with each laden step of the frozen beast, sometimes disturbing his control over the half dozen skeletons he had carving their way through the gobbler forces below.

"Oh, it is my pleasure, dear. We certainly make quite the pair." The elderly fairy floated in the air next to her summoned colossus's head, easily keeping up with his gradual pace. A tea set floated before her as well, and she sipped lightly on her cup before levitating a fresh one over to the necromancer. "Tea?"

Malorn nodded and took the cup, rather small for his fingers. The warm fluid traveled down his throat. He had to admit, this was indeed quality tea. He set his cup back down on the air in front of him, assuming Greyrose's latent magical energy would support it against gravity, then angled his head upward and brought one of the two amulets around his neck to his mouth.

His eyes scanned the sky until he found a rather large creature with the body of a lion, the wings and head of an eagle, and the male Diviner riding atop its back. "Artur. Artur, can you hear me? Have you found anything up there yet?"

"Copy." Artur Gryphonbane leaned forward on his gryphon, prompting the beast to increase its speed. They soared nearer to Gobblestone Castle, and the boy retrieved his spyglass. He gave the street in front of it a once over.

Malorn's skeletons were certainly being put to work, flushing out small buildings and narrow alleyways, but it was Greyrose that bore the majority of the load. How that tiny body of hers managed to control six building-sized colossus at one time, without even a shred of visible effort, was beyond him. More than that, the monstrosities scoured separate streets, some more than three or four blocks away, coordinating with each other so that no street was inspected more than once.

Throwing his amazement aside for a moment, he gave a second look through before spying a strange arch near Gobblestone. "I think I may have, Malorn. Near Hildreth's Perch in front of the castle. Looks like a portal, and gobblers are definitely coming from it. It's a good two hundred feet ahead of you and Greyrose."

"Great. Nice work. We're on route." Malorn replied.

The colossus increased its pace, letting out a deafening roar at its master's chosen target. Its legs plowed through the thick numbers of the gobblers, squashing them under its heavy ice and finally stepped on the end of the road. Greyrose and Malorn looked around, easily finding the perch and the hidden portal from their vantage point.

With a snap of her fingers, the colossus reared its head back and let out a second roar, this one coupled with a might gust of frigid wind from its mouth. Immediately, a sheen of frost coated the portal, building up until it was completely encased in ice.

Then, it drew back, as if to admire its handiwork, took a few steps forward, raised its right leg and brought the flat of the frozen pillar that was its foot down onto the portal, dark purple energies dissipating into emptiness.

Malorn spoke into his amulet again, smiling at a job well done. "Target neutralized."

—o—o—o—o—o—

Victoria wormed her way through the throng of citizens that had built up near the neighborhood's gated entrance, eyes moving constantly in search of Fate and Tala.

It'd been over an hour since they'd met up with Kald and arrived at the gate, a safe one set aside for civilians to congregate while teams flushed the remainder of the gobblers out of people's homes and shops. Word had arrived half an hour ago that a few wizards had discovered the source of the gobbler infestation and had ceased its operation accordingly, but clearing the streets of the remaining beasts would no doubt take a few days of constant work, if not weeks.

Still, she was just glad the immediate threat was over. All that was left was to make sure each of their original group was accounted for.

Her search brought her out to the right side of the civilian conglomeration, where Susie, Mindi, Penny, and Kald lay on their own reserved patch of snow, covered by a blanket Susie had managed to wrestle from the provisions station set up once the guards arrived. One of the medics brought in had set to work on Kald's arm immediately as they pulled in, and was only just finishing up the treatment she could manage on the spot. The wound still looked worse for wear, but the cold temperatures had at least constricted the blood vessels to limit the bleeding. One good thing to come out of this terrible climate, the blonde mused as she shivered for the umpteenth time.

"Found them?" Mindi queried, to which the girl could only shake her head no.

"I hope they're alright." Penny admitted, sighing.

Suddenly, there was a dull thump from a few hundred feet away, grabbing everyone's attention. The thumps continued, growing louder by the second until three ice colossus appeared from around the corner down the street. At first, the group was perplexed, but as the people riding them came into view, they literally leaped from the seats and ran towards them.

The colossus trio knelt down as they reached the refugee camp, extending their cold arms to the ground to allow everyone they carried to descend from their broad shoulders. Tala, Fate, and Freya dismounted the middle colossus, the former two looking worn but at the very least in decent shape. Their appearance didn't matter to any of the four girls now though, only that they were alright, safe. That they had made it.

Victoria was the first to arrive, grasping them both in the largest embrace she could muster. Before either of the boys could return it, though, she was already letting go. Then, her foot came up in successive kicks to their shins, causing them to stumble. She crossed her arms, huffing. "And that's for pulling that chauvinist 'let-the-men-handle-this' crap back there. Don't let it happen again."

They overcame the pain with wry smirks, both knowing she was more concerned than she let on. The rest of the girls helped them to their feet, Mindi and Susie helping Tala up while Penny attended to Fate.

"Thanks Penny." He offered, and the girl only nodded shyly and silently.

"So this must be who you mentioned." Kald remarked, coming up to stand in front of them. Both boys watched him with some reservation, finding bears somewhat justifiably imposing, but their fears dissuaded from Penny's nods of affirmation and the extension of his paw. "Thank you for saving my classmate. It's nice to see other class's wizards with some backbone, at least."

Fate and Tala each took turns shaking his paw, the former one speaking. "We have plenty of that. You'll be sure to see it someday."

The bear managed a grin. "I'll look forward to it." Then, he gave them one last wave before turning around, motioning for Penny to follow him. The girl gave a final wave of her own, which the group returned.

"She's a nice girl." Victoria said evenly, Tala and Fate nodding. Susie and Mindi gave each other knowing glances, then begin to giggle a little, prompting a raised eyebrow from Victoria. "What's so funny?"

The two girls only shrugged. Before she could press for answers, Freya, Malorn, and Professor Greyrose approached them, the necromancer getting their attention while motioning to Tala and Fate. "We picked these two up on the way back for you."

"Freya's the one that rescued us, though." Tala admitted. "I've never seen a wizard move like that before." The girl remained taciturn under his praise, turning her face away to dissuade eye contact.

"Thanks to all of you, then. For bringing them back safely." Victoria said with a smile.

"It was no trouble at all, dear." Professor Greyrose said, fairy wings beating like a hummingbird to keep her afloat.

"Where did all these gobblers come from?" Susie asked. "It's like they just appeared out of nowhere."

"It was no coincidence, Ms. Gryphonbane. I can assure you that." The group turned their heads to the direction of the voice, watching as the crowd parted to make room for Merle Ambrose. The great wizard used his staff as a walking stick, and in his other hand he carried a clean folded stack wool blankets, draping them over the teens' shoulders as he arrived. The items seemed to have a self heating quality to them, and the sudden onset of warmth elicited many a sigh. "This was very much intentional."

Fate, Victoria, and Tala had their suspicions, if not only for their prior run-ins with trouble over the semester. "Who would do such a thing, Headmaster?" Mindi asked.

"I cannot say for sure, young one. But we will not let them go unpunished." He gave her a consoling smile and a comforting hand on her shoulder. "It has been a long day. For now, you should rest. We will handle the situation from here."

"You can stay at my house while they finish cleaning up the gobblers, Mindi." Susie offered. "My parents won't mind a bit."

The girl nodded, and the two made sure to wish everyone the best of luck before heading, off taking extra time to voice their appreciation to Tala and Fate for all they'd done. The two boys told them not to mention it, but somehow had a gut feeling that, knowing them and the nature of the school grapevine, their actions wouldn't be unknown for long. Much to their dismay.

Malorn, Freya, and Professor Greyrose departed soon after, mounting the colossi once again and heading back into the fray to join their comrades. Malorn made sure to tell Ambrose before he left about getting a ton of extra credit for this, and the old man wryly mentioned that he'd consider the proposal.

Once they were out of eyesight and the refugees were far enough away for her tastes, Victoria decided to speak her mind. "It's the same person, isn't it?" Her voice was a whisper, pulling the warming blanket tightly against her. "The man who attacked Fate and Ty. The person at Unicorn Way."

Ambrose seemed to regard it for the moment, then breathed out a heavy sigh. "The scope of this incident was much too large for a single individual. Whoever we are dealing with, they are not alone." He paused for a moment, and all four of them looked out over the snow covered neighborhood in silence, a cold breeze blowing through and filling the quiet. Then at length, he turned around and began heading back towards the gate. "We have an idea, though."

"Who?" Tala asked skeptically.

"In private, my child." He continued. "Meet in my office tomorrow morning. We'll discuss everything then."

—o—o—o—o—o—

"Puddle. Look, look at it. Puddle ."

The guard present, leaning against the stone wall and clutching a spear in his hand, raised his eyes from his short nap at that sound.

He looked to the cell in front of him, where a ragged, moth eaten old man lay propped up against the far wall, reciting the words over and over again as he stared into a puddle near the guard's feet. His hands were shackled together by a series of cuffs, mystical looking jewels planted within them for some purpose unknown to him. All he knew was that they were probably needed to hold this guy back, for whatever he'd done.

Briskbreeze Prison wasn't known for its _minor_ offenders.

"Puddle. Please look. The puddle."

"Yes, it's a puddle! Filthy old man." The guard finally raised his voice in exasperation, scoffing at the prisoner. "What? What do you want? Do you want to get wet?"

There was silence for two seconds, and a disconcerting grin split the old man's face. Then, his head tilted to the side ever so slightly, like a child curiously pondering on something. His voice was innocent, or as close to it as it could be.

"Do you?"

The man didn't have time to even raise an eyebrow before a watery hand burst forth from the puddle, grabbing his leg, then splitting and traveling up his body. The water continued pouring out from the puddle, slowly but surely submerging the guard amidst his muffled, drowned screams to let him go. Eventually, the water completely enveloped him. The sudden onset of the attack hadn't allowed him to catch an effective breath, and his body lost consciousness within a half minute.

Then, the body of water began to take form. Arms descended further into fingers. Its torso constricted from an irregular glob into a streamlined tail, twirling like a whirlpool presumably to keep it standing. Its head gained a pair of glowing purple eyes.

The old man maintained his crazed smirk as he stared upon the storm elemental. Then, he shrugged. "Eh, I tried to warn him."

Even though it lacked a mouth, a voice still projected from its rounded head. It sounded waterlogged, but was still clearly female. "How did you know?" Its body opened up to discharge the guard, armor and all clattering to the ground, unmoving.

"Really now?" The elder quirked an eyebrow, and his face became more sardonic. "A puddle on Colossus Boulevard? Who did you think you were fooling?" He could almost hear a huff from the minion. His eyes narrowed and his voice became more serious, wary. "But more importantly, what does a witch want with someone like me?"

"I have no idea. I've just been…_asked_ by my employer to offer you a deal." His face showed some interest, but she planned to continue regardless. "One job in exchange for your freedom."

"And if I refuse?"

"We leave you here to rot." He began to chuckle at her answer, hoarse and raspy, until it devolved into a series of coughs. Once he had returned to a normal state, she asked. "So, do you accept?"

Dworgyn's smirk returned.

"Alright. I'll play along."


	16. No Rest for the Wicca

**AN: Yes! Finally here. Alright this chapter is very important story wise. Very. Not just for the Wizard City saga, but the story in general. Enjoy !**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

Susie Gryphonbane's room was still as she sat up in her bed, the soft pitter-patter of the rain against her window the only thing that disturbed the complete silence hanging over it. A blanket of grey-purple clouds above shielded the sunlight outside, as it often did in Triton Avenue, leaving the space shaded and silent, broken only by the occasional loud pedestrian crossing a story below.

She stared straight to the lavender walls on the far side of the bed, crown molding on the top and bottom, patterned with gryphon heads. Then, her eyes shifted to the matching bed beside hers.

Mindi Pixiecrown lay nestled below a spread of expensive crimson quilts, slumbering soundly, obviously tired from the events of Colossus Boulevard only the day before. It was odd seeing her there. Not so much strange as unfamiliar. In fact many of her nights the past few days had been very unfamiliar, what with her roommate strangely absent or returning home at night long after Susie had decided to turn in.

"Ms. Gryphonbane." A soft rapping on her door preceded the entry of a maid, voice at half a whisper, peaking her head in. "Ms. Gryphonbane, are you awake yet?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you." Susie managed the most pleasantness she could force through the morning fatigue. The maid bowed with a smile, then promptly turned around to exit when the girl called out to her. "Wait. Has…Has Sasha come home yet?"

Her eyes traveled upward as she pondered. Then, she shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Ms. Gryphonbane, not to my knowledge. Your brother is on an assignment today, but he said he should return sometime near the midnight hour."

Susie nodded, and the maid departed accordingly, leaving her to gaze out the window in solitude. The rain increased, pelting the window, and her grip on the rim of her blanket grew with it.

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Sixteenth Pip: No Rest for the Wicca**

* * *

"You knock."

"No, you do it."

"I don't want to be the one that interrupts him. What if he's busy right now?"

"He told us to come though."

"But—"

"Fine, I'll just do it." Victoria stepped forwards as Fate and Tala stopped, pushing between them to approach the two oaken double doors of the Headmaster's office. Her hand came up without hesitation, and delivered a series of strong taps upon it, seemingly resonating within the room. Then, she took two steps backwards, failing to remember which way the door opened.

Seconds passed with no response, but just as Fate's mouth opened to say something, the sound of a turning handle and a creaking hinge sounded off as one to interrupt him. The door eased open, and to their slight surprise they found no one turning the handle, only some mysterious force. Tala and Victoria weren't sure how developed your magic had to be to be able to do that, but the fluidness of it suggested only the man they were here to see.

They stepped through one at a time into the room, no less impressed with its grandeur than the last visit. Sprawling bookcases lining the walls, filled with volumes and trinkets of every shape and hue, climbing as high as the domed ceiling would allow them to curve before gravity could take hold of their contents. A large divided pane window sat at the far wall, traces of light filtering through its stained glass onto the large wood desk beneath and the elderly, purple swathed wizard who sat behind it. Gamma sat taciturn, perched on a pedestaled crystal ball to the side of the desk, eyes following them as they entered.

"Greetings, young ones." Ambrose gestured with his hand, and at the same time the trio heard the doors click softly behind him. This unnerved the three slightly, but they made an effort not to show it. Instead, the approached the arrangement of cushioned chairs, settee, and a coffee table just before him, levering themselves gingerly onto them.

"Good day to you also, sir." Tala answered him, the last to take his seat. Victoria and Fate bowed their heads respectfully, a gesture he returned.

As she returned to her straight sitting position, Victoria pushed the discussion into motion. "So…you wanted to see us for something, Headmaster?"

"Indeed." He nodded, propping his sleeved elbows upon his cleared desk. "There are a few things I'd like to discuss with you three."

"Things?" Fate repeated carefully. "Do you mean like yesterday? On Colossus Boulevard?"

"More than that, young one. We believe we may have a solid lead on the people bringing so much turmoil to our city over the past few months. Even your assailant, perhaps." Gamma interjected following a soft coo. The statement effectively garnered all of their attention. "Our proof is limited at the moment, but the signs are laid out clearly before us."

"If you believe you are ready to hear them." Ambrose tacked on.

Fate paused at that, not out of any self-consciousness, but at what 'ready' exactly meant. He began to stutter. "Um….Uhh….". Then, he went silent once more as Victoria's gentle hand found a way to his shoulder. He shifted his eyes to her, but found her still staring ahead, just as Tala mirrored her action on his opposite side. He offered them a smile after some time, the gestures reassuring him, and finally answered. "Yes. Yes I am."

A hint of a smirk appeared on Ambrose's mouth, hidden behind his voluminous beard.

"Very well. Then we'll start at the beginning."

At that, Ambrose worked his way to a stand, grabbing the gnarled wooden staff leaning next to him as he moved out from behind the desk. The trio watched him move to the left bookcases, stopping just a few feet from one of the ones at the center. Without a single moment's hesitation or concentration, his hand gestured and one of the tattered tomes lining the middle shelf flew to his receiving palm, spreading open of its own accord. To them, the Headmaster seemed to be reading it aloud, but his voice was so hushed and everything sounded more of a jumble of sounds than coherent words.

Then, devoid of any warning, the entire section of bookcase began to descend gradually, emanating the rhythmic sound of turning gears. Victoria, Tala, and Fate all stood up in awe, and quickly moved over to him as he began to step into the passage left in the its wake.

The corridor itself was brief, naught by ten feet, and emptied into medium-sized room littered with the same amount of intellectual clutter as the main office had. Books, scrolls, and parchment lay everywhere, sheets of paper shielding the wooden floor below from sight. Sconces lay fixed on the brick walls around them, but their light glowed dimly, allowing the space a brief step up from complete darkness.

As the students eyes adjusted, they saw Ambrose moving to the piece at the room's heart. A crystal ball, roughly double the size of the one near his desk, sitting on a raised pedestal. They followed his welcoming signal and gathered around it. There was a moment of quiet as he held out his hands towards it, but after that it began to rumble slightly. Light poured from it, blinding them momentarily until it calmed down into a colored image.

"What is this place?" Tala said, glancing around at what little he could see.

"My observation room." Ambrose answered. "Filled to the brim with knowledge on the Spiral. At least, what we know of present." He coughed a few times, clearing his throat, then glanced around at the three before getting to the matter at hand. "What I am about to show you is something wizards of your level do not yet learn about, but these recent incidents has forced my hand. Prepare yourselves, and do not hesitate to ask questions."

The student trio looked between each other for a moment, not sure what to expect, then gazed down to the crystal ball at Ambrose's suggestion. His hands moved in circular patterns, and the images became clear and took definitive shape. What emerged was the solitary image of a tree, wearing leaves of the fullest green, roots spreading out indefinitely out of the screen's influence.

"I assume all of you are aware of the origins of the Spiral?"

After a time, Tala nodded. "Yes, of course. Bartleby the Grandfather tree and Grandmother Raven sang the world and life into creation. Then the titan war split the world apart, and Bartleby used his remaining power to gather the pieces and create the spiral."

"Good." Ambrose affirmed, manipulating the screen to show a picture of a large black feathered creature nestled in the tree's upper branches. "Now, are you aware of why that happened?"

Victoria decided to answer that. "Wasn't because each of the titans thought the other two were scheming against them. They were threatened by the others and decided to strike before they were destroyed themselves."

The Headmaster nodded. "You recall your lessons well. Now…why did they assume treachery?"

Tala opened his mouth, but found his voice unable to follow through. He looked to Victoria and Fate, who only returned his confused sentiments. Ambrose decided to intervene after a few seconds.

"Bartleby and Grandmother Raven are not _only_ the progenitors of the spiral. The two together are the manifestations of two primordial forces: order and chaos." The crystal ball alternated accordingly, stopping on an image of the Grandfather Tree first. "Bartleby is order incarnate. It was his power that shaped the physical creation. Everything, from our bodies to the plants, from the stable ground to the ever changing elements, is governed by an order, no matter how unruly they may appear to be." He looked up to Fate. "And you, Fate, are this order given the form of humankind."

The emerald eyed boy marveled at that, as did Victoria and Tala, suddenly so wary of exactly what he was. It wasn't that they'd forgotten. Throughout their day to day experiences, he'd just never seemed anything greater than one of them. But Victoria couldn't help wondering what the man's statement would come to mean for her friend.

Tala got them all back on track moments later. "So if Bartleby governs nature and creation, what is Raven's role in all this?"

"The heart." He answered with a reserved grimness. Again, his hands moved in patterns, the ball conjuring the silhouette of a grand raven flaring its midnight wings out with pride. "While he could create it, the one thing that Bartleby could not set into order was the human soul. It in itself is too chaotic a force, prone to changes of no logical manner. This was what Grandmother Raven gained jurisdiction over, and so chaos corrupted mankind's soul, even unto this day. In every one of us, somewhere." He glanced around at the three, face sorrowful. "This was the chaos that tainted the hearts and minds of the titans, disturbed the order, and led to the world as we now know it."

Another silence followed, the crystal ball shimmering back to a blank slate after a time, awaiting its next orders. Then, Fate asked carefully. "So what does this have to do with everything that's been happening?"

"The magical arts that we practice today can only draw on these two sources. The Order of Bartleby and the Chaos of Raven." He continued to explain. "Those that draw on the energies of Bartleby, pulling magic from their surroundings, from nature, are known as Wizards." His face tensed up as he spoke. "And then, there are those who draw from the other well. From the chaotic energy of Grandmother Raven inside their hearts." He glanced to them once more. "Based on our findings, these are the people we believe have been causing all these incidents over the past few months. The attack on Unicorn Way, the appearance of the Gobblers yesterday, perhaps even Fate's mysterious assailant."

He paused, and without any visible sort of provocation, a deep black shade washed over the crystal ball, causing the room to grow even dimmer as he finished.

"The antithesis to a Wizard. A follower of Grandmother Raven. A Witch."

—o—o—o—o—o—

The evening was still, as much as permitted in the darkening cobbled streets of the Commons. The waxing moon shone brightly above, masked by the massive canopy of the Grandfather Tree's branches.

Two figures moved quietly, shrouded in full body hooded cloaks. The first thin and nimble, the second hunched and rotund, legs stuttering from the long periods of disuse his captivity in Briskbreeze had brought them. They walked with purpose, avoiding the light of streetlamps when possible, to finally pour into the Commons' outskirting regions.

"So what's your story, girl?" Dworgyn asked after a time, attempting to break the awkward stillness between them.

Sasha didn't answer, simply pulling the hood tighter over her head. They rounded a left corner, moved up the inclined street, then darted into a trash laden alleyway devoid of light. The duo remained motionless for a few moments, waiting to see if anyone was close by, but once the thirty second mark passed, Dworgyn decided to speak again with a chuckle.

"Not going to tell me, eh?"

"There's nothing to tell you." She replied evenly. Her hand reached out and over time became encompassed by a deep mauve-hued glow. Then, she brought it high, then let it fall in one smooth motion to as low as she could reach. Space and air rippled in its wake, as if disturbing the surface of water, leaving behind a black-violet tear. Dark, billowing energies poured forth, twisting around the tear into a swirling vortex.

Dworgyn quirked an eyebrow at the rift, smile amused at seeing the beads of sweat forming on her forehead. "Nothing? You're a witch, girl. Witches _always_ have stories."

"Not this one." The hunched old man decided to give up at that point, instead obeying her gesture to step through the rift.

An indefinite amount of time passed before the two stepped from the rift—travel within was always so quick regardless of the length of distance—and when they did, they hadn't the time to check their surroundings before a voice ahead caught their attention.

"Ah, finally." The deep, raspy voice remarked with some glee, standing from his seat on the bottom step of a grand staircase. Swathed in black, from his hooded jacket to his pants and boots, he sauntered to them just as the rift dissipated into nothingness behind. "Now everyone is present."

At the word 'everyone', Sasha couldn't help but look around. A larger skeleton, well over six feet tall, sat hunched on the staircase, next to where the hooded man had been. A thick claymore, as long as he, leaned against his body, devoid of any sheath and browned by a coating of rust. Unlike the other skeletons she'd seen him animate, this one was armored in metal. A black chestplate guarding his ribcage, leather boots for his feet, and a helmet to shield the cracks running along his skull. Every time it twitched, moved in the slightest, she could hear a rattling sound.

The second seemed less threatening at least, though all the more eerie in return. Gathered straw jutting from every open place in its simple gray smock, the carved face of its pumpkin head aglow with a mysterious light within. The scarecrow stood by the staircase instead, if she could call its strange inch-high levitation standing.

The hooded man continued as he stopped just before the newly arrived pair. "Were you followed?"

"Unlikely." She answered. "All of Wizard City's attention is still on flushing out Colossus Boulevard. I didn't even see a guard on the way here."

"Good." He affirmed, before turning to the man beside her. "And you must be Dworgyn. I can't say I expected you to accept our invitation so easily."

"I do appreciate you freeing me from my cage. That cell has not been too kind to my back." The man responded with a creepy, off-kilter smile. "Though please understand that I'm not your ally. I just happen to think our goals coincide for now." The hooded man chuckled and gave a nod. Then, silence preceded Dworgyn's face growing more serious, losing his usually jovial tone. "Now…what need have you young ones of this senile old fool?"

"You are the key." The hooded man said. "The success of our mission rests on the power of someone like you."

"Don't beat around the bush, boy." Dworgyn warned, still serious. "You won't receive an ounce of my help until I know what you're planning."

A low, nearly untraceable hiss escaped the man's throat, and before he could reply, the group was caught off guard by the appearance of a fourth party. A ghost, swathed in a translucent robe, descended from the ceiling with an icy chill, but only Sasha showed signs of being affected by it. A moan echoed out from its empty hood, and the hooded man watched it for a moment before turning his head up towards the ceiling.

"I thought you said you weren't followed, Sasha."

"I meant it. What's wrong?" Sasha asked in surprise. Unsure how he gleaned _anything_ from the spirit's single wail.

Dworgyn's eyes soon turned up as well, an irregular grin conquering his face again. "Looks like we have some company."

—o—o—o—o—o—

"_You are not whole_."

The boy's breath stopped, and a sudden sharp pain rang through his head. His hands flew up immediately to his temples, pressing against them to alleviate it. Then, more gradually than it appeared, it dispersed, and he brought his hands down again. He wiped away the trail of warm liquid trickling from the corner of his mouth, and in the night he could just faintly make out its color.

He froze at its crimson hue, eventually wiping of the rest with his hand and returning to his peaceful lean.

The night air waved through his hair like a gust billowing over fields of grain, and not even the accumulated fatigue pressing on his eyelids could persuade Fate into returning to the comfort of the apartment living room. Hands spaced apart on the balcony railing, his eyes remained focused on what lay ahead of him, switching rarely between the waxing moon hanging in the sky above and the black encroaching form of Bartleby silhouetted against the navy blue starry night.

After the talk with Ambrose earlier that morning, the group returned to class with as many curious eyes locked on them as when they'd left. They were promptly ignored, as was becoming par for the course lately, and class resumed with Herbert's change of topic.

The day passed by strangely. Slow and tedious as always, but at the same time like a blur. Practical assessment with Diego had been eventful for most everyone, what with the majority of the class demonstrating their improved control over forming basic pips, much to his and Victoria's gratification. A reminder about the practical skills and physical assessment at week's end dissuaded any further joy.

History with Cyrus was identical, but the professor seemed rather…different. He'd been slightly kinder to them and Runewarden as a whole ever since the advancement exams. Alex Greatspell mused it may have something to do with the class's high pass rate, though Victoria doubted they'd managed to impress the staunch pessimist. Doubted, but not convinced.

Unfortunately, none of the three had been in the state of mind to enjoy the possibility of such a lofty victory. Especially Fate. Not after the revelation about the Witches. Victoria and Tala had heard of them before. Most people had. Fallen Wizards corrupted by a previously unknown force, crazed with thoughts of destruction. Common consensus devolved to just a folk tale, like the legend of Grubb or the benign spirit Felix Navidad. But to be not just real, but an actual threat unnerved them to no limit.

Especially that they might be the group after Fate.

He retracted his hands into his pajama shirt sleeves, doing his best to ignore the late fall chill, and continued to stare. Not turning around as the glass balcony door slid open behind him, and a soft voice broke the quiet. "Having fun out here?"

"Plenty." Fate laughed. She moved up to lean beside him on the balcony. "What are you doing up so late?"

"Can you really ask that?" She countered. He couldn't, and so dropped it. A silence returned between them, she looking out into the night sky above just as he had been. Then, as she tightened the blanket she'd brought around her frame, she spoke. "I don't believe the semester's already over. Feels like we just started yesterday."

"Yeah. At the end of this week, we'll be fully fledged Wizards." He showed her a reserved smile, still staring outward. He supposed there was some unsaid agreement to not speak on the Witch issue for now. "Doesn't seem like we've grown _that_ much, huh?"

When she didn't say anything at his statement, he quirked an eyebrow and turned his head to find her staring at him, which completely threw him off guard. Her words didn't remedy him any. "I wouldn't say that. I think you've grown a lot actually. More than any of us."

His voice caught in his throat, but he managed to squeeze out a "Really?".

"Of course. You're not that timid confused boy Tala, Ty, and I talked to in the hospital after that attack. Not anymore." She turned her eyes back out, now glancing at a few civilians below, reminiscing. "Now you're that boy who I saw get so affected by all the injustice done to Lady Oriel and the fairies. And who just yesterday morning in Colossus Boulevard kept our group from breaking down and was willing to give his life so the rest of us had a chance at escaping."

Fate couldn't say a word at that, and so he just turned back out to the street and rubbed his head in embarrassment. Victoria giggled silently to herself as he muttered "Thanks."

Then, she gave him a soft pat on the back and walked back towards the door. "Get some sleep. Finals start tomorrow." He nodded, and the door closed with a soft click behind him. He continued to look out, eyes fixed on the street, musing on the blonde's words and the strange things happening to him.

Not noticing the winged creature flashing across the sky in front of the moon.

—o—o—o—o—o—

"Easy there. Slow down a bit." Artur Gryphonbane cooed, face illuminated by the glow of the moon, keeping a firm hand latched onto the reigns guiding his mount. The Gryphon's obedience was the only sign of confirmation required, and the sharp air hitting his face descended into a gentle breeze that blew at the loose strands of his outfit. A deep purple, nearing black, fitted without any burdensome materials. Optimized for stealth.

His eyes surveyed the Commons below, his one free hand gripping a sort of compass-like object. He'd not received much sleep over the past few days, especially after having to play aerial spotter for the Colossus Boulevard suppression team. Luckily, when they'd gotten the situation a little more controlled, he'd been formally released to return to Ambrose's mission. Tracking this rift to its exit point.

And finding who or what lay at its end.

He altered his mounts flight path according to the device's needle, swooping up and down as needed to test for the levels it was measuring. The needle rose and fell at times, but suddenly spiked as he passed over a street in the commons not too far from the main library.

He didn't believe his eyes. There was no way a remnant of a portal as old as the one he was tailing could have produced levels of this magnitude. Unless…

"A new portal." He breathed out, immediately stashing the device in a pouch and gripping the reins with both hands. "Let's drop down here."

The wind whipped past his ears as the creature declined at an angle, flapping its broad, brawny wings against its fall to cushion its descent. Its talons gripped the shingles of a groove in the roof, a relatively flat surface between an incline and the large house's towering chimney. Artur wasn't comfortable dismounting the creature yet, though. Something about this place gave him an uneasy feeling.

Under his command, the gryphon tucked in its wings and began stalking up the incline, careful not to crack any of the tiles underfoot and give away their presence. It stopped at the very top, just enough for Artur's head to peak over and spy the house across the street.

The Diviner had to catch his breath at the sight. "No…" He scrambled through his pouch to retrieve the magical scanner again, then held it up. The needle readjusted within seconds, climbing higher and higher until it could no longer. Artur just stared at it in pure disbelief. "No…It…This isn't possible." This thing had to be broken. It had to be. There was no way this was the house.

There was no way it could be—

"What isn't possible?"

He froze, a chill ripping up his spine. Then, he was turning his torso on the Gryphon towards the sound of the voice. There, at the base of the roof right before the chimney, stood a teenage girl. Coffee brown hair hidden by shadow. Plum eyes rife with hesitance, glowing eerily in the darkness.

The strange, irrational sight of his sister wiped his mind clean of thought for a few moments. "…S…S-Sasha…Sasha! What are you…How did you…?"

She didn't say a word at his questions, instead mouthing something akin to an apology as her palm began to glow mauve and dark swirling rift opened in the path her hand carved. The churning nexus took a few moments to stabilize, and when it did, four figures stepped from its dark throat. A scarecrow, a hunched old man in a simple black garb, the rattling bones of an armored skeleton.

And the mysterious man, face concealed in the shadow of his hood, speaking with sinister hiss as the portal dissipated behind him. "Artur Gryphonbane. How nice of you to join us."

"What's going on here, Sasha." The boy replied carefully, eyes darting constantly between the man and his sibling, who wouldn't make eye contact with him.

"Give yourself up, Artur." She said just loud enough for him to hear. "Don't make this harder than it has to be, alright?"

"Don't tell me you're part of the group behind all this?" He said, taken aback by her statement. He readied his grip on his reins and the Gryphon spread itself apart, ready to pounce.

She started to answer, only to be cut off. "And what if she is?" The hooded man asked simply, question pointed. "What do you plan to do about it?"

This caused the Diviner to waver somewhat. Was there anything he could really do about it right now? Ambrose had been sure in warning him off confronting the enemy, but now that was completely out of the question. He might have been able to take out one of them before the others returned the favor. But here he was right at the enemy's doorstep. He was the only one who knew. If he went down now, their identities went down with him, and the trail would probably be lost.

His eyes darted back and forth again, watching the scarecrow and skeleton begin to stalk up the roof towards him. Behind their advance, he finally fixed his sight on his sister, and by now she'd already brought both her attention and a wooden wand up to lock onto him. Magic building up within. He flinched at the action, but waited, examining her. Examining her eyes, full of fear and confusion, regret and unwillingness. Those eyes he'd seen so many times throughout their years together.

Here they were. Begging him for help.

"_I'm sorry_. _Wizard City has to know_."

And once again, he knew he had no choice but to leave them to fend for themselves.

He jerked his hands and the reins snapped with them. The Gryphon reared its head back with a mighty shriek, bunching its legs, spreading its wings, and bursting off from the roof into the air, shingles cracking under the force.

The hooded man managed the smallest of smirks under his hood as Sasha's scream resounded, fueled more by a sense of betrayal than anger. The inverted storm sigil traced itself in less than a second, glowing a pale purple, and then dissipated in the same moment as a swirling portal of clouds materialized a few feet in front of her, crackling with electrical streamers.

Her eyes continued to glow as five bats charged through from its center, wreathed in torrents of lightning, zooming up into the air in a misshapen line. Their haunting screeches filled the night, aerodynamic bodies easily catching up to the scrambling Gryphon and its rider.

However, neither the beast nor its rider would surrender so easily to them. The first storm bat flew up and over their flight path before arcing and plummeting towards them. Through his panic to escape, Artur noticed this and turned the reins, mount veering sharply to avoid it, electricity and all. However, they were all more coordinated than he'd first assumed.

The second and third were also ascending at their new position, shrieks calling attention to them. Artur and Gryphon leaned more into the veer, but the third bat managed to latch its fangs into the Gryphon's wings. The beast let out an ear-splitting cry of agony as the creatures charges ripped through its nerves, pawing at the air while Artur did his best to right the situation. The fourth and fifth bat, grabbing the wing and a back leg respectively, diffused any hope of this.

The Gryphon could no longer bear the weight of its attackers, and stalled for a moment in the air before gravity exerted its dominance. Artur did his best to hold on to the wildly spinning creature, but the force proved too great for him and he released the reins just seconds before both crashed onto one of the more flat roofs just a block away.

The thud and resulting crunch were just accents. He didn't need them to know that he'd broken quite a few things in the fall. Nothing below his left knee was operating as far as movement, and he struggled for at least a half minute to push himself up into a sitting position, left arm and back protesting the action in full force. The bats were gone, most likely dissipated as they hit the roof, but his Gryphon was still on its back, bloodied and unwilling to move any of the places they'd bitten into.

He forced his body to move towards it, propelling his crawl with his right leg and hands, unable to work up the energy to stand and hobble. Halfway through his trip, another dark rift opened up between him and the Gryphon, Sasha stepping out into view and followed by the hooded figure, Dworgyn, the skeleton, and the scarecrow.

"I guess you did have a story after all, girl." Dworgyn remarked plainly, this time not with any hint of sarcasm or mirth. Almost regrettably.

"Humans are such pitiful creatures." The hooded man meandered over to Artur's downed body triumphantly, and the Diviner only stared up at him in defiance. "Your sister pledges her allegiance to me just to protect her siblings, and what do you know. Her older brother abandons her." His boots came down repeatedly on the boy's outstretched arm, and he yelled until his voice began to break. Sasha winced at every one, knowing there was nothing she could do. And after he'd just left her, did she really want to?

The man turned his hood's opening to the girl. "Really? This is the trash you wanted to protect?"

Sasha bit her lip, averting her gaze, and dammed up the tears trying to leak from her eyes. But against what riled up insider her, she steeled herself. Voice firm when she replied. "If you kill him, the deal's off. And I kill you."

"You're not in a position to make demands here. Even if he dies, I've still got your younger sister as leverage." She could feel his confident grin, and didn't let it show that she knew he was right. Fortunately, it paid off. "But it'd be a shame wasting a perfectly good hostage."

He snapped his fingers, and a rift opened up behind him. This surprised Sasha. She wasn't aware that he could form rifts of his own. But what's more was that he could do it without using his hands. As far as she knew, it took a large amount of corruption to be able to do that.

The rattling armored skeleton jerked Artur up by his collar, letting his legs drag along the ground and unaffected by the boys attempts to push off him. The two disappeared through the rift, followed by the scarecrow, then the portal dispersed and the air returned to its normal state. Leaving Sasha, Dworgyn, and he alone on the roof.

After a long span of silence, filled only by chirping crickets and rushing wind, the female Diviner's dejected voice asked. "How much longer must you force me to do this…?"

"One more assignment." He answered calmly. "Then you'll have your freedom, you and Dworgyn. There's one last thing we need to collect, and I'll need the both of you to do it."

She was hesitant to ask. "…From where?"

Instead of speaking, he instead turned his body. This confused her at first, but Dworgyn seemed to catch on immediately, and the old man chuckled as he spoke. "Ah, you young ones sure have some spunk to be messing with them."

Sasha turned also to the direction he faced, plum eyes widening in disbelief as the sight of the Grandfather Tree resonated in her mind. The man spoke as she thought.

"Ravenwood."


	17. Nightfall

**AN: Finally, the last arc of the Wizard City Saga. This is finally where things come to a head. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

A nexus of onyx sweeping curves, surrounding a flawless jewel of the deepest mauve.

Dworgyn's beady, irregular eyes eyed the necklace with an inquisitive fascination as he rested on the second lowest step of the staircase. The jewel at the center seemed to shimmer darkly every time light from the slowly swinging chandelier above passed by, and the piece as a whole gave off the faintest vibration in his hand. As if trying break free from its container.

Once his attention for it had worn thin, his eyes indifferently wandered around the room. Only a slim line of sunlight from a crooked shade high up let him know it was daylight outside. The only real way to keep track of time over the past week. Or what he assumed had been a week. He'd been rather lax on keeping track.

He partially regretted that actually. It would have at least been something to do since he'd been confined to remain at their base, presumably while the hooded man and the witch girl finished up whatever it was they were doing. The skeletal and scarecrow minions the man had summoned weren't very sociable.

His only real sense of companionship had ironically been their injured captive, who half on Sasha's request, half on ensuing boredom he'd taken the time to fix up. And who was now sitting bound on the staircase next to him, plastered leg outstretched. Dworgyn wasn't much of a healer, but if he'd learned anything in necromancy, it'd been how to set a bone.

"We're both stuck here, you know…" The hunched man said evenly, dangling the necklace in front of his eyes. "Being antisocial doesn't help anyone."

"Don't say a word." Artur continued to stare off in the opposite direction. Body still and unmoving.

"But discussion is often the best remedy for conflicted feelings. You should talk about it." Dworgyn adopted a toothier smile, but then scrunched his eyebrows like he was analyzing the boy. "I'm sure your sister's treachery is still a shock, but she has good intentions I'm sure."

"Shut up!" Artur rounded on him.

His anger only kindled more by a wry grin. "Ah, there's some emotion."

"Don't you talk to me about good intentions and treachery." The Diviner gritted his teeth, switching to a controlled viciousness. "You have no right after what you did. You deserved to be jailed up, you monster."

At that, Dworgyn went silent, Artur's echoes climbing to the ceiling. Then, the elder turned his sight ahead and conjured the saddest smirk the boy had ever thought he'd seen. "…So Ravenwood still thinks I did that, huh?"His voice was even, and for the first time completely devoid of any mirth. "If you listen to anything from me, boy, hear this. Your real enemies are _much_ closer than you think. And tonight, I'm going to show all of you that."

The sentence gave Artur pause for a few moments, and before curiosity opened his mouth to query, a swirling black rift opened a few feet ahead and discharged two figures in hooded cloaks. Only the latter of the two pulled hers back, bringing Sasha's brown hair and purple eyes into the room's dim light. Neither brother nor sister so much as glanced at each other.

"Oh, you're finally back. I've missed you so." Dworgyn's playful nature returned without a hitch.

"Everything should be prepared now." The hooded figure ignored the comment, skipping straight to business. "Have you gained a grasp on it?"

Dworgyn shrugged his hunched shoulders, letting the necklace dangle on his hand. "More or less. I can at least pull off my job for an hour or two." The figure nodded.

"What about him." Sasha motioned to Artur, who noticed the lack of any recognition in her tone or words. "It's been a week. Somebody's sure to be looking for him by now."

"Leave him here. I have no further use. Someone will find him eventually." He turned to face both Sasha and Dworgyn. "Be ready and gather up what you need. We strike tonight."

Both nodded, the girl after the old man, then took off for different parts of the space. Sasha threw back on her hood and tried to hide her last withering glance at her brother before stepping back out through the door and into the day. The hooded man moved to a darkened door off to the side. Dworgyn remained where he was, swinging his dangling necklace back and forth again before his eyes, as if trying to hypnotize himself.

Artur watched him out of his periphery with some reservation, and an oddly placed sense of concern arose at what he'd said before. And how much closer he meant.

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Seventeenth Pip: Nightfall**

* * *

_Wind billowed over the empty pastures, ruffling the raven locks and loose articles of clothing of the boy sitting calmly there. His eyes closed, ankles brought back to sit on his knees, back facing the monstrously towering oak tree. A mushroom cloud's worth of branches snaked into the air, wearing verdant green leaves as healthy as the grass below. The only sound came from the soft whistling of the wind. _

_And the withered voice at the boy's back. "Seek me out."_

"_Why." The boy responded hesitantly, conflicted. "Who…who are you."_

"_You are not yet whole...come to me."_

"_Where." The boy's eyes scrunched, but remained closed. "Where are you? Please answer me."_

"_You must become whole."_

"Where are you!"

Fate's fist slammed into the granite top, causing the bathroom counter and sink to shake while knocking off a precariously perched bottle of bath soap onto the floor below. The sound of it hitting the tile broke him from his trance, and his eyes flew up to the large mirror ahead.

Beads of sweat ran down his reflection's face, and his labored breathing had just started to come down off its high. Trembling hands, now just regaining themselves, wiped a trickle of blood from his mouth before tapping the sink faucet twice, and a steady stream of water magically poured forth.

There was it again. That dream, or memory, or image. He honestly couldn't discern between them anymore. At first, it'd only happened during deep sleeps, but lately he'd found himself zoning out, as if his consciousness was shutting down. And it was completely random now too, not to mention more painful. He'd been fortunate enough to keep it at the apartment, but one episode had happened during Cyrus's history final. It'd taken twenty minutes of test time and an aggravated yell from the Professor himself to snap him out of it.

He wet the rag to his right and ran it over his face, spending extra time on his mouth to get the blood off. He really just didn't know what to make of it anymore. Someone had to be contacting him, that much was certain. It was the same beckoning message every time, sometimes alone, other times appearing with a sharp pain somewhere on his body. The question was, who or what was it? And why did it seem so important?

Furthermore, what did it mean by complete?

"Fate, are you okay in there?"

Victoria's voice pierced his thought train through the bathroom door, and he quickly shut off the water. "Yeah, I'm fine. What's wrong?" The opening of the door greeted him to the blonde in question, sporting a blue knee-length dress, frilled at the brim. A white cardigan sleeved her arm up to the elbow, and those same sparkling red flats she'd borrowed from Dorothy Gale cushioned her feet.

Her brown eyes looked concerned. "You just…yelled all of a sudden."

"Oh, uh…" His hand ran over the back of his head, and he gave her a sheepish grin as the doorbell sounded. "…I just hit my foot."

Her nod and subsequent 'alright' didn't seem too convinced, but she took the explanation anyway, asking him to get the door while she returned to her room to finish preparing. A quick peek through the eyehole produced an image of three familiar faces, and the subsequent opening allowed Ty Stormwhisper, Aria Nightingale, and Tala Mythhammer in.

All three exchanged greetings with the emerald eyed boy, before Ty looked around the living room, noticing his sister wasn't around. "Don't tell me she's not ready yet." Fate shrugged, but at that moment the girl in question pedaled back down the stairs to meet them.

"Okay, I'm ready now." She remarked, taking note of everyone's appearance as she moved towards them. Everyone in her class was required to dress up at least a little tonight, so Tala and Fate were able to scrounge up some appropriate pants and shirts from a Shopping District visit earlier in the day, adverse with having to ask Malorn for clothes all the time. Everyone else held a more liberal freedom of choice. Aria of course didn't care much for her outfit, wearing her usual get up and even bringing the sitar as well, but the blonde had to crane an eyebrow at Ty's choice of wear. "What, you're wearing your school clothes?"

"Unlike you, people already think I look good. So I don't need to—"

A fist to the gut and an irate look silenced him, but he still managed a superior grin before she huffed out the door. Fate and Tala snickered at the exchange, and Aria soon caught up with her, giggling as well. "Your brother is quite the humorous one."

Victoria sighed. "Too bad he wasn't joking."

The group soon exited the building and eased into the Commons, the sun peaking just above the horizon and casting a deep orange tinge over all the stonework. Victoria noted how odd it was traveling to Ravenwood at night for once, after having gone through a semester of early morning rushes. But then again, this was quite the special night for her and her classmates.

After a grueling first semester of nothing but wizardry fundamentals, where many of the wizard hopefuls were weeded out over the course, the survivors came together for the graduation ceremony. Perhaps equal in importance, while the final graduation marked the end of a magic user's conventional education, the first marked the beginning. For here was where the students finally entered the discipline of their choice, or more commonly the discipline that chose them.

Fire, Ice, Storm, Myth, Life, and Death. By the end of this night, each and every survivor of the Runewarden, Phantomhide, Sunchaser, Seedcradle, Gladecrest, and Copperhorn classes was guaranteed a spot in one of the six schools, and their magical training would truly commence. These placement decisions were supervised by a committee of high ranking wizards and Professors as well as the teachers' own recommendations based off of observed performance. Students' own wishes were taken into account, of course, but few ever felt the need to challenge; most placements were spot on.

"Wait, Malorn isn't coming?" Ty asked Aria in disdain, mirroring all the others' thoughts.

The girl's short red locks swayed with the shaking of her head. "Afraid not. He's still stuck with cleanup duty on Colossus Boulevard with the rest of my class." She seemed to sigh as she continued. "Only reason they let me off is because my plants aren't very effective in that kind of cold."

The Diviner and Victoria tried their best to hide their disappointment at the revelation, only managing to keep each more reserved until they neared the wrought iron school gates. Tala, Fate, and Aria were sad too, but were surprised at how much it affected Ty, much less Victoria, when it was her graduation. It made them wonder just how much of a history they actually had with him.

Upon reaching the gates, they saw a rather strange sight. What appeared to be an adult Cyclops, dressed in the cleanest work clothing Victoria had admittedly ever seen one, stared defiantly down at one of the guardsman, gilded helmet only reaching up to the giant's knee. A few others stood around, finding safety in numbers should the situation escalate, but the young wizard group's fears of conflict were quenched as they came within earshot.

"Sir, I don't think your son is here. You're the first Cyclops I've seen all night, and there's none on the student ledger."

"That's what I'm trying to tell you. My son isn't a Cyclops. He's human. Name's Tala Mythhammer." The guards flipped through a few pages, collectively spying the name but not outright convinced of the man's claim.

They continued to eye him suspiciously, until Tala jogged ahead of the group and pushed his way to stand beside the Cyclops. "I'm Tala Mythhammer. He's with me, I promise."

Their faces still looked skeptical, but the one holding the ledger eventually caved in and granted a nod of passage. The boy and one-eyed giant stood off to the side within the gate while the rest of the party received authorization as well, and once inside Victoria and Fate dashed over to them, the latter speaking. "Hey, Remus! It's been a long time."

"Aye, it has." He responded with a grin, scratching along his beard. "Your security here sure isn't a welcoming lot."

He knelt down to better communicate with them, and the Theurgist and Diviner who approached seconds later. The next minute or so was occupied by formal introductions to Ty and Aria, whose first time it was meeting any of Tala's relatives. Their faces were surprisingly devoid of one of the standard two reactions, unbridled fear and amusement. Aria seemed strangely unfazed by the revelation, almost unnaturally so, even knowing and feeling that the man was much larger than the average human. On the other hand, a playfully sadistic glee consumed Ty, who could only think of the potential stunts and gags they could pull with a full grown Cyclops on their side.

They soon moved back into the flow of people heading deeper into the campus, the chivalrous Remus offering Victoria and Aria a ride on his broad shoulders, which they were glad to accept. Only softly glowing streetlamps lit their way, unaccounting for the full moon above or the glow of dorm room windows on the far side. The sidewalk wrapped around the base of the Grandfather Tree, no less imposing than ever, some roots emerging from the ground at places to form arches above their heads.

The General Studies building hallways were completely packed, enough for Remus to barely make room for his feet as he near crawled under the doorway. First year students dressed in their best, upperclassmen, friends, and relatives all swarmed around, conversing. The group pushed down the hallway, muttering apologies as needed, before reaching a relatively sparse area near the gymnasium doors.

And there at the end stood the members of their class, and those they'd chosen to bring along. Contrary to what Victoria and Tala had thought, two parents accompanied relatively few of them, including only Anna Flamewright, Susie Gryphonbane, and Sabrina Greenstar. Everyone else seemed to be missing one or both, and they were sure it'd only been a lack of invitation. Surely that many parents couldn't be missing. Regardless, Victoria couldn't help but fight back a single tear, which Ty offhandedly noticed before patting her back.

"Hey guys!" Susie approached alongside Mindi and one other girl, as the group came into view. Everyone exchanged greetings, and soon the other members of the class came around to form a makeshift conversation circle. Once she'd reached everyone, the Gryphonbane girl leaned to the girl behind her and yanked her to the forefront. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to my older sister."

"Greetings." The girl, who looked like a taller, more mature version of Susie, greeted reservedly. "My name is Sasha Gryphonbane."

There was a small pause, and the girl looked around to find the entire group staring at her. Eventually, Pathos Thornriver broke from the pack and took to a knee in front of her.

"A pleasure to make your acquaintance, mademoiselle." He planted a kiss on the back of her hand, an action which stunned her and Mindi into silence and gathered amused laughs from Ty, Fate, and Tala. "Truly the brightest of blooms, thou art. Perhaps we could become a tad more...acquainted? Over dinner, possib—?"

Thena Owlfinder's hand grabbed his collar, and the girl dragged him away from the group with a subdued exasperation. Alex soon went after them, waving apologetically over his shoulder. "Sorry about that. He does that to all the pretty girls. We'll see you guys inside." After they left sight, Susie coyly nudged her sibling, who only turned her head away in embarrassment.

"Wait…" Victoria mused. "He's never done that to me."

Ty stepped up. "He did say 'pretty' gi—" And the sudden feeling of instant death ensured his retreat. "Nevermind."

"Ms... Aria, is it? You are in Witherseed class, right?" Susie followed up to diffuse the tension. The redhead nodded kindly, prompting her to continue. The girl looked down at her feet, and drew in a calming breath. "Well…um…have you seen my brother Artur this week? At all?"

The Theurgist resisted the urge for a blind joke when she felt how solemn the girl seemed. Instead, she shook her head. "No I'm sorry, I haven't. Is he alright?"

"We're not sure." Sasha answered with a controlled voice. Controlled to everyone around her, accept for Aria, who noticed the girl's sound shift ever so slightly upon the mention of his name. "He hasn't come home all week."

"He did say something to us about an assignment from Ambrose." The redhead shrugged. "He could just be on an extended mission. I wouldn't worry too much about it yet. He'll turn up soon enough."

Susie seemed placated by the thought, and though Sasha took on a comforted smile too, her actual mood did not get past the Theurgist. The gymnasium doors finally swung open moments later, and people began to file in. Aria watched the older Gryphonbane's sound signature disappear into the flooding crowd, with a sense of something she couldn't quite pinpoint. She quelled her thoughts, though, as Fate's hand grabbed her wrist and brought her in with them.

Victoria had been to Ty's graduation ceremony the year before, where he was accepted into the Storm school, and so was vaguely familiar with what to expect. This, however, exceeded that time by a wide margin. She couldn't even distinguish it from the gymnasium, as if it were an entirely different room. A unique design lay plastered over every wall, moon and star symbols glowing and moving in coordinated patterns across a murky navy blue background. What was once the recognizable gym floor was covered in a sea of confetti and balloons of every shape and hue. A massive stage lay at the head of the gym, framed with red curtains that hung from the high ceiling, revealed by spotlight sconces perched at the far end and the corners. Wood, padded chairs encompassed draped tables, each set with climbing glass centerpieces and a host of dining utensils.

The masses split apart upon entering, moving to the tables whose centerpieces held their name card. Tala luckily was allowed to stay with the group here, though they had to accept a table nearby the edge of the setup, so Remus' large stature wouldn't block anyone's view. The different classes separated into different blocks so that all class members were close enough. Those students without any guests were at least granted the privilege of sitting with others.

Fate peered around as his table sat down, recognizing relatively few students from the other classes. Mr. Runewarden did take the time to visit all his class's tables, giving congratulations like all the other assistant professors, but before Fate could really get into it, his attention turned with the spotlights as Headmaster Ambrose and his avian companion Gamma took the stage, voice projecting and bouncing off the walls. He proceeded to greet everyone, thanking them for their hard efforts through this preliminary trial, and how those before him were those the faculty believed would be able to succeed as Wizards. And that they'd like to express just some of their appreciation through a humble meal.

Humble became a meager choice for a word. Waiters and waitresses wheeled in carts one after another, packed to the brim with hors d'oeuvres, soups, salads, meat dishes of every variety, and desserts. Glasses failed to run empty, occupied by orange, blue, and red liquids the likes they'd never seen. The once reserved and quiet space became abuzz with dinner chatter over the next hour, with people trying to find conversation between stuffing their faces. Especially Tala and Remus, who could neither stop eating nor comprehend how much food there was.

Everyone had long since ceased once the two had their fill, and the workers quickly began ferrying trays and remains away while Ambrose retook the stage. "And now, for what we've been waiting for. If my fellow Professors would join me on the stage." Six figures moved from behind the curtain: a flaming red woman in a crimson evening dress, an aged fairy wrapped in blue, a dapper frog twirling a cane, a stern man swathed in a yellow robe, a cheerful cow gracefully sliding her green kimono across the wood, and the cold eyes of the pale, black-robed man. All as astounding as in the advancement exam. Ambrose unrolled the scroll in his hands. "These six men and women have hand selected you to join your upperclassmen on the road to excellence in the magical arts. Please ascend the stage as we call your name. From the Copperhorn Class…"

A block of students towards the front right side rose from tables with smiles, and one by one began to come up. As they did so, they gave a curt bow to the audience during applause, then turned to face the line of six professors. Ambrose's voice recited a few prepared lines, tailored at parts to each individual, before revealing which of the sextet had selected the student. Unanimous nods came from each student, who looked perfectly content with their choice and the school-specific plaque they received, and they moved to the stage's side to repeat the process with the next. Applause sounded out as expected, giving one last burst as the entire class finished and returned to the tables of proud guests.

Fate, Victoria, and Tala all separately noticed the distant looks in Aria's and Ty's eyes, while the classes passed one by one. Occasionally, ever so subtly, they would look to a nearby table on the right, and after subsequent instances, the trio was sure it was Susie Gryphonbane's table. They didn't know what to make of that, though. Upon their own viewing, the group seated their looked normal enough, if ignoring the pervasive gloom from the one empty chair meant for her brother. The two parents looked strangely…disinterested though. Not obvious by any means, but Tala for one could pick it up, having been subjected to it in the past for so long. Susie did her best to keep conversation going, mostly with Mindi and her uncle, who'd been invited to sit with them.

The strangest one by far, though, was her elder sister Sasha. Her eyes were focused, but tracing her line of sight only brought them to a blank far wall. One thing Victoria noted was the way she constantly fiddled around with her necklace. More of an amulet, one that gave Fate an unexplainable feeling of uncertainty.

The behavior carried on for another half hour, under which the fourth class, Phantomhide, received their moment in the spotlight. This one brought about more attention from the Runewarden trio, if only for the situation in Colossus Boulevard. It was also quite the humorous contrast seeing the gruff form of Kald Ironclaws accept his plaque from the tiny Professor Greyrose. Penny's commencement produced the opposite effect, Malistaire reservedly and unemotionally presenting her the plaque as he did the others. Not that they expected much from the death school professor, but a little flair would have been nice.

As the Phantomhide group disembarked from the stage, something caught Aria's and Ty's eyes again, which prompted another look from the three. Sasha mouthed something indiscernible from their distance to those at her table, and they all seemed to nod before she moved to one of the entrances, under cover of the returning class.

The Diviner and Theurgist gave each other curt glances, with the former declaring to the table. "Hey, we'll be back in a few minutes."

"What! Where are you going?" Even under Victoria's harsh whisper, they already begin standing from their seats, adjusting themselves.

"We left some things in one of the classrooms. If we hurry, we can grab them before they lock up."

That was probably the worst lie she'd ever heard him come up with, but the graveness of his stare convinced her not to call him out on it. Instead, she only looked back, voice adrift on dejection. "Just…get back here soon. Our class is going up in a second."

His nod signaled their exit. The fact that Aria brought her sitar along only served to heighten her confusion and anxiousness, but Ambrose's voice drew them back to the stage. "Now, may the Runewarden Class please rise to their feet?"

—o—o—o—o—o—

Sasha moved quickly from the moment she shut the gymnasium door behind her. Down still-lit hallways, around corners, peeking briefly at every room she passed with a translucent pane of glass on its door. Hands always fiddling with the amulet. Steps purposefully light to obscure her presence from whatever could possibly be patrolling the hallways.

She paused at a particular corner, hearing footfalls and the clinking of chainmail approaching from the adjacent corridor. Her body hugged the wall, mind running through a variety of plans she'd thought up. Take them out now? What if more than one was nearby? Would they see her and the plan be placed in jeopardy. With the steps growing in volume, she eventually bit her lip and stepped out into the open, doing her best to look as innocent and perplexed as possible.

Apparently it worked, for the guard was wary, but not outright hostile. "What do you think you're doing over here, ma'am?"

Sasha feigned astonishment at his 'sudden' appearance. "Oh, my. You frightened me."

"Oh…uh…I apologize for that." This made him ease off somewhat, and after he cleared his throat, his voice was more gentle. "But you know that no one's allowed back here. Are you with the first year graduation party?"

She nodded. "Yes, the Gryphonbanes. I was just trying to find the ladies room. If that's alright?"

"Ah I see." A flush of red conquered his cheeks. "Yes. That's quite fine. I'll take you there."

Silence took over as they moved back the way he'd come from, Sasha following a few feet behind him. The route wrapped around towards an area somewhat far from the main entrance, at the back of the building. An odd anxiety began building up inside him, one he couldn't explain, though eventually he decided to just discard the notion and continue forwards.

Once he arrived at separate set of doors with male and female insignias, he finally turned his body to face her, smile on his face. "Well, here we go ma'am. I'll be in the hall over if you need help getting back."

She mirrored the smile, cocking her head innocently. "Thank you so much."

A surge of electricity ripped through the guard's body, shooting up through his spine and knocking out his consciousness. The last thing he could remember, the last he saw as he buckled under his weight, was the girl's cold, unflinching eyes. She was already walking as his helmet touched down, bending to grab his chainmail by the collar, and dragging his limp body into the bathroom with her.

She didn't bother to prop him up against a wall. She simply let him go in the center of the floor, and obeyed the command that came out her medallion.

"_Open it up_."

Tearing the air took considerable more effort than any of the others had, and by the time the swirling black rift could be called stabilized, Sasha was drenched in sweat. Something the eldest of the four figures that passed through touched on. "You seem…out of sorts."

"What did you expect?" She responded through labored breaths. "Opening a rift this close to Bartleby isn't the easiest thing." The girl drew deep breaths to compose herself, after which she turned to the hooded man, the scarecrow and rattling skeletal warrior beside him. "Can we still even pull this off?"

"Of course." He turned to Dworgyn. "You know what to do, correct?"

"Possibly."

The man was too accustomed to the hunched being's playful grin to question it. "Good." Dworgyn's subsequent nod signaled everyone's exit, the group moving in a roundabout way back towards the gym. Avoiding single guard patrols when possible, Sasha's electrical surges cleaning up when not. Their flow through the route was seamlessly led by the hooded man and Dworgyn even with the building's winding halls, and they had no trouble arriving at the gym's entrance, hearing the muffled applause she'd been hearing from within before.

The hall lay silent, except for the spreading of stance and the jingling of Dworgyn's levitating in a dark glow before him. The hooded man and Sasha stood on either side, nodding to each other before uttering. "Sasha and I will assist with the dimensions. Let's get to work."

—o—o—o—o—o—

"Do you accept this hand of invitation, Mr. Mythhammer?"

Tala's eyes traveled down to plaque held before him as Cyrus's magically enhanced voice spread around the room. Shaped more like a shield, coated in a polished royal blue glass with the Myth School's yellow pyramid symbol at the center, its eye creased in pride. He'd seen plenty of it from watching all the other classes go before, but to have it in front of him after all this time was truly stunning to him.

Instead, he just managed a nod and the largest smile anyone had ever seen on him, and thunderous applause accompanied his moving to the side, Remus's wide hands and proud bellows being the primary contributors.

Victoria watched with pride also, standing next to her table and thinking how good a match the school would be for him. She watched him until he joined the others on stage that'd already received their nominations. Susie Gryphonbane and Blain Seastrider were shoe-ins for Diviners, what with the former's familial history and the latter's thunderous personality which manifested in excited howls on being chosen. Mindi, she guessed from her living arrangements, might be averse to dealing with ice and cold during school too, but the girl seemed ecstatic enough. Tala had joined Alex Greatspell in the school of Myth, noticing a connection with the two most intelligent people in the class being accepted into such a mind focused school. She admittedly couldn't see Duncan Grimwater in any other school except for death, same with Sabrina Greenstar with life.

Perhaps the largest shock of her class came with Pathos Thornriver and Thena Owlfinder in Death and Life, respectively. Sure, she knew it was wrong to stereotype, but 'Playboy' Pathos was far from the mostly reclusive, dark attitude of a necromancer. And Thena's antisocial behavior over the semester wasn't the most reflective trait of standard Theurgists. Though in hindsight, Malorn Ashthorn's easygoing, jovial nature was a walking contradiction itself. Perhaps there was more to them than she'd first assumed.

And that left only three. She, Anna Flamewright, and Fate Evergreen. "Would Ms. Victoria Flaresong please come to the stage?" Well…two.

The blonde took a calming breath, then did as she was told. She wouldn't have described it as nervousness; that sounded to negative. It was more like an anxious longing, to finally know what school she would be chosen for. Ambrose continued to speak of any accolades, even including the efforts in Colossus Boulevard, as she made her way up and onto the stage. She stiffened as she looked over the crowd, but a second deep breath set her at ease. She noticed Fate writhing around back at the table, no longer standing, but was drawn away as the Headmaster spoke.

"We are pleased to pronounce that Ms. Flaresong has completed every requirement of her Novice Wizard training. Professor, would you please step forward?" She heard shuffling of feet, which instantly told her the floating Greyrose was off the list. That left five. The footfalls had an odd quality to them. A rhythmic tapping sound, growing louder as the person approached. Could it be hooves? Moolinda Wu, maybe?

Then, the growing heat at her back told her all she needed to know.

She spun around to Dalia Flamea, holding a wooden plaque shaped like a fiery ember, swathed in red and orange glass, high heels ceasing their pounding as she came to a halt. A pleased smile uttered the words. "The School of Fire has requested that you, Victoria Flaresong, join our ranks."

After letting the moment settle in a few seconds, Ambrose tacked on with a smirk of his own. "Do you accept this hand of invitation, Ms. Flaresong?"

She paused even longer than Tala had. Fire, huh? Wouldn't be so bad to see where it took her. "Yes. Yes I do—"

"Aughhhhh!"

—o—o—o—o—o—

Dworgyn's pupils rolled up behind his open eyelids, leaving nothing but white and strained lines of red. The floating amulet's glow began to expand outward, barely contained by his outstretched hands, keeping it deep purple hue as it did. It stretched and swelled until a perfect sphere, swirling and churning within.

Beside him, the hooded man and Sasha watched his chant. Watched him complete the ball of energy and hold it cautiously between his hands. Then, like wind carrying a bubble, the sphere began to float from him, passing unhindered through the wall before them. The moment its edge dispersed through, the hooded figure and Sasha's arms were moving in complicated motions, the former's voice just audible enough or their group to hear.

"Sasha, set the radius for the capture point. I'll expand it."

—o—o—o—o—o—

The strained yell resounded over the room, drawing heads and eyes towards the front right where it originated. Fate fell from his chair, body hitting the ground with a loud thump and garnering surprised gasps. He writhed around on the ground, clutching his head, screaming at the limits of his voice.

"_You are incomplete. You must become whole_."

A number of people around began to look on, and Remus was the first one to actually shift over to him. He reached out a hand, index finger extended to turn his body over. "Hey, kid. What's with all the screaming?"

Fate's arm suddenly flew up and around, knocking the Cyclops' gesture away with his finger. The momentum turned him over, and his limbs pushed up to a kneel. Tear lines ran down both of his cheeks, face twisted in agony, hands gripping the sides of his temples as if trying to keep something in. He staggered to his feet, chest heaving, and began running. Weaving in and out of tables like trash through a rocky downstream, murmurs following at his back.

Victoria, too taken aback at the sudden onset, stared out at his retreating form pushing people out of the way. Her voice grew from a whisper to a distressed call. "Fate. Fate! Fate, where are you going!"

All his classmates, all the professors and the headmaster looked out at him as well, completely surprised at such a turn in the normally even-keeled boy. All except for Tala, whose upturned eye had caught the strangest sight from its topmost periphery.

A dark ball, in its simplest form. Stirring and roiling just underneath the ceiling at the gym's center. It hovered inconspicuously and daresay innocently, making no sound, at least not audible from their distance. The newly appointed conjuror couldn't put a finger on what had set him off about it. That was, until a line of darkness like a short wall of fire appeared on the fringes of the room's floor, barely visible against the shadows. His eyes moved up again. The shadow ball began to expand, open up perhaps. He couldn't tell.

But he knew something was happening. And he had to move.

"Everyone! Move!"

The very moment his voice roared out, a swift cascade of the dark energy poured out from the sphere, spreading out in every direction and curving downwards towards the dark lines on the floor, which now completed to form a perfect circle. Tala's body was already in motion as people turned at his call, his tattoos snaking down to his legs. He rushed across the stage, dropping his plaque without a second thought, and instinctively grabbing Victoria who was in his path.

The dark purple energy fell in seconds, forming what looked to be a barrier around the stage and every occupied table in the gym, people just now realizing what was going on. Tala was almost dragging the girl at this point, but luckily in her confusion did not obstruct him too much. He poured on the speed as the wall fell to near completion, yelling out for her to dive. They leapt into a forward roll, passing just underneath the dome, hearing the unhinged screams of the people within go silent as the malevolent structure completed.

A dome indeed, its curved walls churning with the same dark energy as the ball. They lay against the eastern wall just on the cuff of its span, a few feet between it and the wall behind them. Haggard breaths became the only sound in the room. Their pupils constricted in horror.

Nobody else had gotten out.


	18. Welcome to Nightmare

**AN: Alright, here's part two. Not sure how many chapters it'll take up, but I do have a concrete plan. Enjoy!**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

"Adjusting for entry point. Feedback loop seems intact." The deep purple glow around Sasha's hands subsided, and with it the calculating, trance-like glean in her eyes. The two men to her left nodded, still not assured of their victory but pleased that everything was going smoothly. A few stagnant seconds passed until the glow completely dispersed into the air. "Alright, it's stable."

The hooded man and Dworgyn both nodded, with only the former coming out of his stance. The latter remained fixed in place, angling his head towards the girl and parting his mouth to speak.

"What's stable?"

The voice caught the trio off guard, and they turned down the hallway at its source.

Two humans stood between the rows of lockers. The first, a moderately tall female whose red hair shone under the fluorescent sconces, unencumbered by the sitar strapped to her back. The second, a brunette boy of similar height, eyes as purple as Sasha's. White pants running below the ankle length coattails of his Diviner's robe before tucking into boots.

Ty Stormwhisper glared coldly from beneath the brim of his pointed wizard hat. "It's been a while."

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Eighteenth Pip: Welcome to Nightmare**

* * *

Silence. Complete and utter silence.

Victoria's and Tala's breath sat transfixed in their throats, eyes focused on the ceiling high circular dome of energy before them.

Its roiling energies obscured everything. Every sound, every sight of the near one hundred fifty people locked within. It'd completely consumed them all. Even the air around it was stagnant, and difficult to draw in through labored breaths. Both were afraid to do anything, to move, lest the mysterious magic have enough sentience to chase them down. And so they sat for the better part of a minute, backs against the wall, only feet from the dome, trying to process what was happening.

When the blonde only came up short, she turned to Tala, choosing not to comment on his receding tattoos. "What…what is that thing?"

"I don't know." He offered. "I just saw it coming down and got you out."

Victoria wanted to question that decision, especially with the likes of Ambrose and the other Professors nearby. Anyone more useful than her would have sufficed.

Instead, she rose and moved towards it. When she was only a foot from the chaotic mass, she began speaking into it, voice louder with each second. "Headmaster. Headmaster! Anyone! Can anyone hear me!"

Only silence. Tala watched her hand rise a few seconds later, reaching out. "Wait. Don't." She froze mere inches away, and craned her head to him. "Let me try something first."

His eyes caught a stack of plates on the serving cart beside him, and a flick of the wrist set one into motion. The plate dove into the murky roil, what looked like a ripple spreading out from the entry point. The two waited a little while longer. Nothing. More silence.

"It went through, but..." Victoria began.

"…we don't know what happened to it." Tala picking up, calming himself before continuing. "Let's just leave it alone for now."

The blonde nodded in consent. Then, their backs were against the wall, shuffling past the spots where the domes reach was so close to the wall that it formed a thin alcove. They discharged on the other side, next to the double doors that they'd entered in earlier that night.

Victoria's eyes caught something peculiar sticking out from behind an overturned table. A foot. Attached to a raven-haired unconscious boy.

She fell on top of Fate with an alarmed shriek. "Fate! Fate, are you alright!" She hadn't realized his outburst and escape had placed him just outside the dome's range. She flipped him over onto his back and scanned his face, just as Tala came up.

"Is he alright?" The girl could only shrug, feeling his face. Not so much as a twitch, color slightly faded, skin cool to the touch. The same with his hands as well. An ear to his chest revealed a heartbeat, which dissuaded the worst outcome.

"Fate. Come on, Fate. Wake up." She chided in a hushed tone, twisting his arm, pressing on his ribcage. Anything to jolt him awake.

A full minute passed before her efforts produced results. The last push on his ribs forced a strained cough, and she fell back as his torso shot up. Color trickled back onto his skin, and the writhing pain from earlier dispersed as his hands massaged his temples. Victoria and Tala approached carefully, not wanting to startle him.

"Fate, are you alright?"

"I…I guess. I don't know. All I remember is blacking out." Victoria and Tala noticed his hands twitching, but weren't sure what to make of it, or any of it really. Tala planned to question him further, but he and Victoria were caught in Fate's sudden gasp, when they saw he'd noticed the dome behind them. "What…what is that thing!"

"We're not sure." Victoria answered, turning to it as well. "All we know is everyone else is trapped in it."

"What?" The surprise overcame his voice, and he staggered to his feet. "Then what are we waiting for? Let's get them out."

"We can't do that." Tala said, holding a hand out at him. "Not until we know what that thing is. Think about it. We've been here for a few minutes, and not one person has come out yet. I can only think there's no way out." He turned back to them. "If we get stuck in there trying to help everyone, then all hope is lost. I say for now we find someone else that can help us."

Fate moved to say something, but Tala's reasoning won him over. They all exchanged glances with each other before performing a collective nod. Then, they were up, wishing those trapped inside the best of luck, and moving towards the double doors.

—o—o—o—o—o—

A deep chuckle bounced off the walls, filling the hallway and the Diviner and Theurgist's bodies with unease. The hooded man's torso rose up again. Behind him, Sasha and Dworgyn remained in their place, the former staring nervously at their two new visitors and the latter chuckling under his breath while focusing his magic and attention on the amulet.

Ty stared into the black void the hood's shadow created. His laughter dispersed as he stood erect, voice unnaturally deep and raspy. "Yes. It has been quite some time, hasn't it? You're looking well." The storm wizard bit his lip, and became more aware of the chest scar underneath his clothes. It was the same man after all.

"You know them?" Aria questioned in a hushed tone.

"The hooded one's the guy who attacked me a few months ago." He admitted, then turned his attention to the sole female ahead of him. "I guess you were right about her."

"Right about what?" Sasha asked hesitantly.

"That you were hiding something." Aria answered, a strangle luminescence buried within her irises. "Your sound changed when you answered me before about Artur. To think your secret would be this big though."

"No it's not what you think." She countered defensively.

"It's not?" Ty asked with unamused sarcasm. "Then by all means, explain what a witch thinks she's doing attacking Ravenwood."

She gritted her teeth. "You think any of this is my idea?" She pointed to the hooded man beside her. "If I don't do what he says, he's going to kill Susie."

Ty and Aria paused at her explanation, glancing at each other for a moment to see how the other took the information. The Theurgist's eyes then quickly scanned over the witch's sound, finding none of the disturbance she'd encountered before. She turned back to Ty to give him a confirming nod, but before she could start it, the hooded man's voice interrupted again.

"So you wish to place the fault on me, do you?" His coated shoulders turned to the Storm and Life Wizards, rising and falling with his laughter's return. "How easily we forget. I only recall asking you to kidnap the fairies from Unicorn Way. I wasn't forcing you then."

The breath left Aria's throat, and her faced drained of color moments later, pupils constricting. The hallway went dead silent, save for the slight rattling of the animated skeleton. Her face fell down to the floor, and a strange surge of power moved through the air.

When her face rose again, latent energy converged into a single glowing orb next to her head, its light dancing across her cold expression. "So it was you—"

The double doors to the gymnasium swung open between the two opposing groups, snapping attention from the rising tension. Three figures collapsed onto the floor with a muffled thud, two in faded Marleybone jackets and the third in a knee length dress.

The hooded man took advantage in the lapse of focus, despite his surprise at another person's appearance. He turned to Sasha with a nod, who was already holding her hands out and gathering magic from within. An inverted Storm sigil traced in the air before her palms, dispersing in a brief flash of light just as Tala, Fate, and Victoria managed to scramble to their feet. Just as they turned, a soft breeze caressed their faces, ruffling their hair and loose end of their clothes. The breeze increased with every fraction of a second, growing into gale force winds that boomed in their ears.

Their eyes squinted, and hands came up to shield faces, but the winds eventually gained strength to overcome their bodies. The spell blew them up into the air and back, sending all five skidding and flying down the hallways, locker doors rattling as they passed. Ty, Tala, and Victoria did their best to hold onto whatever they could, but the wind tunnel proved too much for their grip.

"Dworgyn, Sasha and I are moving on." The hooded man said over the roaring of the winds, turning to the hunched man. "Should I leave Rattlebones and Harvest Lord with you?"

"No need." He said with a confident smirk. "Even incapacitated as I am, I'll be more than enough to handle them."

The hood dipped down in a nod, and his hand reached out to the side, cutting a swathe through the empty space to create another rift. The skeleton and scarecrow ambled into the swirling black void. "We leave it to you then. Give us at least an hour, then you're free to do what you please." The necromancer nodded, and after a tap on the shoulder, Sasha cut off the magical winds, quickly following the summoned minions into the portal.

Ty was the first to recover from the gale's cessation, head and body coming up to see the hooded man sticking his foot into the portal. He glanced back towards the Diviner one more time, and before Ty could move, he was already through, the rift dispersing into nothingness.

The sound of shifting clothes and mild groans filled the hallway's end, with the other four rising to their feet. Upon inspection, nobody had suffered anything more than faint bruises. Nothing Aria couldn't handle later. Now, though, there were more pressing matters to attend to.

In the form of the hunchbacked man only dozens of feet away, smiling at them as he continued to pour magic into an amulet around his neck. "Well, it seems you're left with me now." Ty and Aria wasted no time focusing pips around their bodies, the latter whipping her sitar around to the front.

"What's going on, Ty?" Victoria asked. "Who are these people?"

"Not now, Victoria." He answered.

A melancholic sigh escaped the necromancer's throat, the man watching Ty tracing a Storm sigil with his finger. "Oh come now. Must we resort to violence already? Don't you wish to hear what I have to say?"

"Shut up." The Diviner barked, turning his head to Victoria. "Go grab the Professors from the gym. Tell them we're under attack."

"We can't." Tala said.

"What! Why?"

"Their all trapped." Victoria admitted. "Everybody in the gym was swallowed up by some magical force field…or something. Tala, Fate, and I are the only ones that escaped." Ty and Aria's eyes flew open at the revelation, the Storm Wizard's sigil dissipating before he could finish.

"Yoo-hoo, over here." Dworgyn said again, slightly more irate at being ignored. "I'd be more than happy to explain everything to you."

"You think we'll listen to what you say?" Ty scoffed. "After what you did?"

"Well you should. I am your ally after all."

The obvious tone in which he uttered it threw all five off kilter, mouths open but unable to respond for a few seconds. Eventually, Ty schooled his face back and was about to retort when Aria took a step forwards and held out an arm in front of him.

"He may be right, Ty."

Ty, Tala, and Victoria deadpanned at once. "What."

Aria's eyes gained a green luminescence again. "His sound is completely stable. Either he's the best liar I've ever met, or he's telling the truth."

"I don't think he's lying either." Fate said, stepping forward, voice strangely weak but retaining its firmness.

"Ah, the Exseed himself, is it? You really do have her eyes." Dworgyn remarked with a strangely reserved grin.

"How did you know he's the Exseed?" Tala asked skeptically.

"I know many things." He replied evenly. "Unfortunately, we lack the time to cover all of them, so let's focus on the here and now." He paused, clearing his throat as they warily listened in. "That man is after something in this campus, something within the Grandfather Tree. He recruited the witch and me to assist him."

"What's with the dome in there?" Victoria asked. "What's it for?"

"To seal away anyone who could disrupt the plan, namely the professors and Ambrose." He offered, hands still feeding magic into the amulet. "This barrier will be maintained for a little over an hour, enough time for him to complete his objective."

"If you're our ally, why are you helping him? Can't you take the barrier down?" Ty reasoned irately. "Nothing you do is matching with what you're saying."

"All will be revealed in time." He replied evenly. "But make no mistake. Nothing I've done up to now has been for his sake. He is merely the tool." His voice grew imperceptibly dark. "I…pursue the tinker." He craned his head slowly back around to face the quintet. "Now depart. Your friends and comrades will be safe with me. You must not waste anymore time if you wish to stop him."

Ty silently gritted his teeth, but Aria's calming hand finding his shoulder seemed to dissuade him. He spun around to the others. "Let's go." They nodded as one, the Diviner taking the initiative and moving down an adjacent hallway. They followed him one by one, until lastly Fate stepped out of Dworgyn's sight.

The old necromancer waited a few moments, allowing the silence to fill the hallway once more. Then he placed his sight back onto the gymnasium doors and began moving steadily towards them. Hands cradling the amulet, his focus managed to twist the handle and push the doors open enough for his rounded body to slip through.

He shuffled in to stand next to an overturned serving cart, the eerie churning dome at the center of his vision. All the pleasant mirth in his eyes was replaced by stony determination and frigid grimness. As if staring into the dome, he whispered.

"There's no escaping now."

—o—o—o—o—o—

Ty Stormwhisper peered around a building corner from the opening of a wooden door. Spying nothing unusual, he made a forward gesture, and the four wizards followed him out, keeping pace with his steady jog.

Birdsong twittered amongst the higher recesses of the Grandfather Tree's sprawling branches, fading into the calm night air. Victoria found it strangely reminiscent of the night she, her brother, and Tala had decided to venture into Bartleby. This time, she wasn't appropriately dressed, not having been able to find anything her size in a supply closet the group raided. Aria was of course comfortable with just her sitar, but everyone else except for Fate had managed to find a suitable weapon of choice. Ty with an amethyst-topped wooden staff, Tala and Victoria plain wooden wands.

Crossing the expanse towards the base of Bartleby encompassed a lot more navigation, provided mostly in the form of other buildings and secluding walkways and hedgerows, during which Ty decided to bring up discussion. "I'm still not sure about all this. Can we really trust him?"

"We don't have a choice." Aria noted. "There's no way you and I could take on a former assistant professor."

"Assistant professor?" Fate exclaimed, voicing the surprise of all three first years. "You mean like Mr. Runewarden?"

"I'm more interested about the 'former' part." Tala said.

The group leaped over a low row of shrubbery, onto a walkway tunneled by arching lattice covered in snaking ivy and flowers. Moonlight above and illumination from nearby streetlamps intermingled and poured through whatever holes they could, making their stone paved path somewhat visible.

They kept up their pace, Aria responding as soon as they entered. "It was about a year and a half ago. The entire school of death vanished overnight, torn from the cliffside the campus is built around."

Fate's face moved from shock to despondence. It'd always baffled him why he'd never seen a necromancy building like the others. Victoria and Tala were less surprised, the occurrence being common knowledge around Wizard City, but hearing it again was almost like hearing it for the first time. After the initial swell of newspaper and radiograph coverage, the event disappeared into ambiguity, as if it'd never happened.

"Eventually, blame began heaping upon assistant professor, Dworgyn, since he was the last seen entering and leaving the building. Investigators found he'd purchased dangerous ingredients over the days leading up to the incident from a woman named Gretta Darkkettle, who also taught at Ravenwood. He denied it, of course, but his alibi wasn't enough to convince the Headmaster. Dworgyn was jailed somewhere secure, probably Briskbreeze, Gretta was banished, and the incident was swept under the rug. The building was never found."

A seconds-long silence, then Victoria eventually asked. "So did he really do it?"

Aria could only offer a shrug. "Malorn said he's not convinced, but who really knows."

"Either way isn't important right now." Tala brought the discussion back on track, just as they reached the end of the curving tunnel and looked up at the towering bark of the great tree before them. "He helped us, and like Aria said, there's not anything we could have done to stop him otherwise. Let's focus on what we can do now."

His words gained a collective nod, and they all spread out along the tree's base, eyes scouring bark for any sign of their shrouded opponent and his group. They didn't imagine he'd be too high up in the treetops, not that visibility from their vantage point held clarity.

Fate broke more to the far right, motioning that he'd be searching by himself. He took a few more steps after he passed out of eyeshot just to make sure, then his body buckled to his knees, hands keeping his torso from slamming the ground.

Everything happened at once. Blurry vision, trembling arms and legs, cold beads of sweat slipping through pores, labored breaths he couldn't corral. He stumbled forwards, trying to gain control, when a violent cough exploded from his mouth. His eyes peeled open again to see more than a few drops of blood staining the over-ground root before him. He wiped the resulting trickle quickly upon hearing footsteps approaching, and strained some grip on himself as Victoria appeared from around the bend.

"Fate, was that you?" She asked quizzically, seeing the boy's back leaning against the tree, an oddly forced smile on his face. He shook his head as innocently as he could. She eyed him for a moment, but eventually accepted. "Over here. Tala found something."

It turned out to be a tunnel, bark frayed and peeled at its edges, a shower of burnt splinters splayed over the inside near the entrance. Aria marveled that a tunnel actually ran inside Bartleby, but Victoria, Tala, and Ty remembered the passage at once. Nostalgia and a small twinge of dread triggered nervous glances between them, but soon enough Ty sucked in a calming breath and schooled his face back into determined confidence. The two followed suit.

They couldn't truly be surprised. Here it began with the hooded man, and here it would end just the same.

As if it was fate, Victoria mused.

Silently, one by one they stepped into the charred tunnel entrance, singed air filling their lungs and forcing coughs. Fate brought up the rear, more encumbered than the others had realized, so much that Tala fell back to support him through. All were confused at the turn in his health, which seemed to come out of nowhere. All the noises he made and the occasional splotches of dried blood she'd clean in his bathroom resurfaced in Victoria's mind instantly, and that unsettling feeling returned as they drew deeper in.

The tunnels wound in just like before, sloping at times, their way illuminated by a floating pip Ty and Aria had each conjured. Occasionally they would see straw strands on the ground, probably from the scarecrow they'd seen, and ultimately that'd been the deciding factor at choosing where to turn at the crossroads.

Aria's voice sprang up just as they reached the end of the hall. "There's a sound up ahead."

"Is it them?" Victoria asked.

"No, I only hear one."

The hurried down the hall towards the light at the end, discharging into a place familiar to all except Aria. A plethora of roots snaking down from the arched ceiling shielded white washed walls. Vibrant glowing leaves drifted downwards like snowflakes, dispersing in glittering dust-like particles as they touched the grass carpet beneath.

Tala, Victoria, and Ty gazed around, replaying the struggle in their minds. Everything looked mostly the same as they remembered it, except for the strange sight at the far wall. A large door, at least twenty feet high, mystical embroidering and runic symbols carved into its solid stone. The roots and vines around it seemed broken and torn, and the trio wondered if it'd been concealed behind the whole time. Or if there were any others down here.

It was cracked open, just enough for someone to slip through, and an odd sound emanated from it. Rushing water? They weren't quite sure, but that was their most accurate guess.

Then, something more poignant caught their eye—everyone's eyes—and all drew towards the pavilion at the center of the room. The pavilion which once housed the great crystal they'd found Fate in.

And which now housed a solitary female figure, swathed in purple.

"This is as far as you go." Sasha Gryphonbane remarked.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you working for that guy?" Victoria called out as Ty and Aria readied themselves. "Aren't you Susie's sister?"

"It's because I'm her sister that I'm doing all this." She replied sorrowfully, not moving at all. "If I don't do as he says, he'll kill her and Artur."

"Then what if we beat him before that." Fate said, eyes determined and masking the weakness in his voice.

"I can't take that chance." She said. "Besides, there's no going back for me anymore, now that you know who I am. Once it gets around, I'll probably be a wanted criminal. Not that it's any different than how I've lived before." She spread her feet apart, purple eyes gaining a faint glow. "Enough of this, though. Talk won't solve anything."

"Indeed it won't." Aria spoke, taking a few steps ahead to stand before the group, swinging her sitar around to her front. She craned her neck back towards her companions and continued loud enough for all to hear. "Go ahead. I'll take care of her."

"What, by yourself?" Victoria exclaimed. "Together we would beat her easily. Why not all of us?"

"Because she was left behind to stall us." Tala answered, placing a hand on the new Pyromancer's shoulder. Sasha's lack of response told him all he needed to hear. He swiveled around to Aria. "Be careful."

"As much as I hate to share the spotlight, I'll let you have this one." Ty joked as he moved past the Theurgist, bringing about a smirk. Victoria and Fate gave her affirming nods as well, which she returned, before all four set off after the door. Ty watched Sasha carefully as they trekked across the grass. She made no move, not an inch towards them much less an effort to end their advance. The quartet slipped through the door's crack, Fate entering last, and with that they vanished from eyeshot.

After a brief silence, Aria asked calmly, still gazing at the door. "You didn't try to stop them?"

"I care nothing for his plans." She said simply. "His only requirement was that I at least hold you up. The rest, he said would only be running to the slaughter."

Aria didn't immediately respond to that, instead moving her gaze from the large door to the grass below her feet. Her hand slowly reached into a buttoned pouch on her belt, and pulled out a few oval-shaped seeds, skins browned and hardened. A second pip began to join the one she already had. Her eyes remained on the ground. "Did he speak the truth? We're you the one who attacked Unicorn Way?"

Sasha considered, but gave no quarter for deception or excuses this time. "Yes. I was."

"Your employer seems to have made an error, then. My comrades couldn't be running to a slaughter…" Aria's voice was even, normal, and all the more menacing for it. There was a pause, and then Aria's head finally rose. Just like in the hallway, her eyes were cold, but now they contained a quiet fury the likes of which Sasha had never seen.

"Because it's right here."


	19. Night in Gale

Lady Oriel's breath was near visible on the cool near winter night. The light from the Hedge Maze's open doors illuminated and gave warmth to her back, and the flitting shrills and laughter of the many fairies within spilled out from the entrance, bringing a reserved smile to her lips.

Wings folded behind, she bent her knees and levered herself to sit on the steps, eyes gazing in the direction of Bartleby's dark silhouette in the distance. Her mind raced, most notably on her meeting with the Exseed months before. Conflicting schedules had dissuaded the opportunity for a second visit. To receive a second look and confirm her lingering impression of what she thought she had sensed. The danger she had thought she'd sensed.

"Lady Oriel?"

The Seraph showed no sign of surprise as Nyx called out her name. She rotated her torso to meet the orange-hued sprite, a perplexing frown etched on her mouth. "What troubles you, dear?"

The sprite angled her head to Bartleby. "Something…feels wrong. I think she may be in danger." The 'she' was no mystery to the angelic being. Fairies were very emotional beings, and Nyx had long since had a personal attachment to Aria. It didn't surprise her that she could sense certain things.

"What do you feel?"

She paused, shivering at something far beyond the cold. "…Anger. She's so…angry." Her ginger eyes glistened in the light from a streetlamp as she looked up. "W-We must go find her, Lady Oriel!"

The Seraph regarded the pixie's desperate expression, and consoled her with a warm smile of her own, caressing the small being with the unblemished skin of her hand. Then, she rose to her feet, wings flaring out to lift her a few inches from the ground before her soles touched down again. Oriel extended a hand to the pixie, a mild wind blowing at her ivory tunic and feathered wings. "Then we make haste. Come."

**EXSEED**

**Nineteenth Pip: Night in Gale**

Neither Victoria, nor Tala. Fate, nor Ty. Not a single one of them had ever witnessed such a beautiful place.

As the four slipped through the person-wide crack in the large doors, a small tunnel opened into the most breathtaking venue they'd experienced.

A bright, vast grotto. Hundreds of tree trunks—perhaps massive roots considering they were under Bartleby—rimmed the perimeter and shielded the cavern walls from view. Rushing water flowed from around their bases over the hardened rock they were rooted in, and plummeted into a deep lake that comprised the majority of the room, its surface saddled by a thin layer of mist. A canopy of green glowing leaves littered the ceiling much like in the previous room, providing illumination as bright and warm as sunlight, some dropping onto the lake's surface.

The beauty of it all had distracted the quartet for a few seconds from the piece at the lake's center. A beige cylindrical tower, topped with what seemed a glass dome observatory, rose seven stories from an island-like outcropping of rock. A number of bridge-connected platforms branched off from its main body, suspended in the air. Some close, some nearly thirty feet out, some at the top, some from the rock around its foundation. All decorated with shrubbery the likes of which rivaled Unicorn Way.

"Is…is this? What is this place? Are we really under the school right now?" Tala asked half-skeptically, half in awe.

"School?" Victoria remarked with the same flabbergasted tone. "Are we even in Wizard City?"

Ty held up his index finger to his mouth, signaling them to keep quiet, and received apologetic nods in return. They remained silent for a few seconds, hearing what they thought was a closing door some ways off. Ty performed the gesture again, then pointed towards the tower, whispering. "Let's check it out. Follow me."

A second set of nods began their trek. A wide stone bridge connected their alcove near the door to the tower's island, stretching across the lakes surface. They decided to stick towards the left most railing for guidance across. Some dozen feet below them, patches of sparkling water between the mist allowed occasional glimpses of fish swimming through the depths.

A strange figure became visible upon reaching the latter half of the bridge, much larger than they'd first assumed. It wasn't until they'd come upon it proper did its form make sense.

Rough, browned wooden bark covered its thirty foot form: a pair of four gnarled arms that ended in sharpened fingers; two thick stumps for legs that ascended into a thin torso, sprouting a tangled mass of leaved branches. A beard of moss hung down from its large head, an eerie pair of unblinking eyes lying in sockets. Fate eyed it with curiosity, gazing upon its supine body teetering on the rail of the bridge and the precipice to the lake below. One of its arms dangled low enough for its hand to be submerged.

Ty, Victoria, and Tala gasped, and glanced between each other. This was the same treant that had attacked them that night.

So many questions poured through their heads. Was it dead? What was it doing here? Why was it completely unresponsive? And more importantly, what could have caused it?

"Greetings."

All eyes flew up to the voice's source. The mist flattened out, spilling over the sides of the bridge to reveal the figure hidden within it.

The hooded man stood just before the tower, hands nestled firmly in coat pockets. "Seems you've found that guardian. He gave you quite the run of trouble last time, didn't he?" His hood cast its ever pervading shadow, and it seemed to accentuate the darkness in his voice. "Consider it a favor that I took care of him for you."

"We didn't ask for your favors." Ty spat coldly.

"And I didn't request for your interference." He countered evenly. "It seems neither of us can have what we want, Mr. Stormwhisper."

While Ty gritted his teeth, Tala observed that the tower's primary door, a smaller version of the one they'd just entered, had been cracked inward. His confusion at the man's presence here dispersed as he noticed the disappearance of the two other figures. "Where are your minions?"

One of the man's hands, gloved in black, gestured behind him towards the door, confirming the new Conjuror's suspicions. "They're accomplishing my objective. Doing what we came here to do."

"And what is that?" Fate demanded.

A raspy chuckle accompanied what they imagined was a grin. "You'll learn soon enough."

His other hand emerged from the opposite pocket, both moving towards the space before his chest, beginning to glow with the faintest of dark purple energies. Ty was more than sure that was witch magic, and he grimaced all the more at the thought. He inclined his head to the three young wizards behind him. Tala and Victoria stood with the wands they'd taken, both their eyes filled with a suppressed anxiety. Fate was behind them, and the Diviner could clearly see the strain on his face. Nervousness? It seemed more physical pain than anything.

Either way, he knew his choice wasn't going to turn out well, but he didn't have another option. "Tala, Victoria. I want you to go after the two minions."

"Just them?" Fate argued in a whisper, breathing heavily. "What about me, I should be going with them."

"Fate, just do what he says." Victoria soothed, readying her wand and immediately catching on to her brother's ploy. He'd tried his best to hide it, but all three had figured it out over their journey inwards. He was in no condition to be fighting.

The tanned adolescent scrunched his face and fists in defiance, but after seeing how serious they were, he knew it was futile. He gave a begrudging nod to Ty, who returned the favor before facing back to the hooded man.

His whisper was still just loud enough for their group to hear over the rushing water. "Focusing magic into the wand is only a little bit harder than making pips. I know you haven't had much training yet, but it's up to you guys. I know you'll come up with something." The Diviner could hear them assuming stances behind him, and calmed himself before ordering. "Let's move!"

—o—o—o—o—o—o—

Aria Nightingale's fingers slid across the fret board of her sitar, its strap resting across her shoulder and anchoring the instrument's wooden body in front of her, just above the belts that crossed her waist. The red-haired girl stood still otherwise, eyes shut tight, head angled down. Another glowing pip joined the two hovering to her right.

This set Sasha Gryphonbane on edge, considering what she knew of the girl's magical education. She was in Artur's class, so she could expect three-pip spells. The girl parted her feet, gathering a bit of dark-purple energy around her. Even with the pips, she wasn't quite sure what she could expect. The whimsical tune Aria plucked was a greater mystery than her skillset. Was it just to distract her, or something more?

Half a minute passed of waiting and watching, Aria keeping her place while tuning sitar keys and Sasha keeping alert. At some length, the Storm Witch proved impatient, and took a careful step forwards.

Aria's green eyes shot open, and a single pluck of her lowest string signaled it.

Sasha's legs bunched up for a leap as gnarled, winding roots exploded from the ground like a spike trap, shooting straight for her lower legs. But her reaction time was too slow. The wooden tendrils snaked around her extended legs and killed momentum, forcing her back down. Once grounded, the other roots layered over her feet one by one.

"You're not going anywhere." Aria said without an ounce of her usual warmth. "You play by my rules, here."

Sasha grimaced. She was right. This was more than just knowing the terrain or having home field advantage. Bartleby's roots and branches were more concentrated here than anywhere else in Wizard City. And this girl was a Theurgist; a good one, if Artur's past praise held any credibility.

Aria's string of notes claimed next three seconds. At the same time, a transparent ball of air built up before her. No, air wasn't the right word. It was much too light and ethereal—Sasha's storm education could account for that.

One last powerful strum tipped her off. The bubble of sound burst out in a wave much like her own wind, bending Sasha's body backwards so much that her wooden constraints snapped off. The force flung her across the grassy floor, like a rock skipping across water, before slamming her into the mesh of vines and roots on the wall behind.

The moment she made impact, Aria's fingers were moving and plucking again. The sound waves closed the distance easily, exciting the roots and vines on the wall and bringing them to life. By the time the Witch realized what was happening, they had already claimed her legs and arms.

She struggled to force herself free, tugging and tugging, but to no visible avail. Aria walked forwards, pulling another tune from the sitar. It was then that the Witch noticed something. She still had all three pips. "You…You're telling me none of that cost you a pip?"

Another, thicker root sprouted beside Aria's body, climbing and twisting in the air. It was noticeably more flexible than all the others, more like a vine. "My sitar is my wand." The Theurgist decided to answer. "Magic Knights aren't the only ones that can match a Witch's casting speed."

The root tendril continued to climb high into the air. Then, with her change in tempo, it reared itself back before lashing out at the captured Diviner. The blow rattled her body, produced a strained cry, and left a bloody scrape on the girl's abdomen. It reared back once more with Aria's tune, then lanced forward again and again. Sasha kept her stern façade amidst the escalating power of the blows.

Aria's tune dropped even deeper, and the root bent back so far that it touched the ground. Before it could move, though, Sasha forced her mouth open as wide as she could, throat aimed directly at Aria. She sucked in as much air as she could, an inverted storm sigil tracing itself in the air before. A great, focused gust of wind rushed from her open maw, its strength as immense as the one that had suppressed them in the general studies building.

This time Aria found herself forced back, flipping and rolling before her hands and feet found semblance of balance. Her head came up in time to see an electrical current stem from Sasha's bound hands, burning away her root shackles and allowing her feet to touch down on the floor. "Then let's see how well _you_ can keep up."

Sasha conjured another blast of wind, this time from palms extended side by side. Aria, still in a kneeling position, threw herself in a tight roll to the right. As she came up, her sitar and hands came together, and another build up of sound converged before her. The result came out as a shockwave, fazing towards her opponent.

The Witch maintained her position, sending another stream of wind at the mass of incoming sound. When they collided, it wasn't the spectacle of an explosion Aria was expecting. Rather, the wind easily tore apart the concentrated sound with little hindrance, with enough leftover force to blow the Theurgist reeling back into the air.

She landed with a small thud, gritting her teeth at her error. Air conducted sound; of course sound couldn't overcome it. But the revelation put her in a far worse spot than she could have imagined.

It also seemed to invoke a confidence in Sasha. The girl gained the smallest of smirks as she pressed her palms together and an inverted storm symbol traced again. Aria instinctively dropped down, but this time the wind was different.

Her first clue was the feeling on her skin. The small draft that preceded each blast was now inverted, coming towards the Diviner's position. The sigil dispersed in a faint light moments later, and a huge gale of wind tugged at Aria's body, pulling her forwards.

The Life Wizard's hands went into motion as the vacuum forced her forwards and gobbled up the loose blades of grass. Her hands began tracing the Life symbol pattern in the air—knowing the sound of her sitar would not reach her target in this gale—and tried to regain her solid stance upon completing it. The emblem fading produced a flash of roots that grabbed hold of her feet and secured her in place.

Sasha's voice could barely be heard over the vacuum's winds. "And now roots hold you down. How ironic."

She focused, then a second sigil appeared to the left of the vacuum. Aria gazed in disbelief, watching a large electric cobra manifest from the flash of light that followed. White-purple scales crackled with forking volts, its hiss filled with a surging buzz. Its body coiled, then sprung, arcing through the air towards the Theurgist.

Aria's fingers managed a snap, and immediately the roots securing her feet dislodged, freeing her. The vacuum's force took over from there, pulling her body the moment she lost her fastener, just in time to avoid the Thunder Snake's strike at her previous position.

Sasha immediately cut the vacuum's feed, but the spell's momentum had been enough to carry Aria across the distance. The Life Wizard's body rammed into her torso, knocking her over and sending them both careening backwards into a roll. In the confusion, Sasha managed to throw her opponent off, and the girls leapt back to create a healthy distance between them.

Aria swung her sitar back around and began to play after tossing a small seed kernel to the ground. The life symbol materialized ahead of her instrument, cresting and falling with her notes before vanishing on the last pluck. This time, Sasha noticed, all three pips were consumed. The seed blossomed quickly under their magical supply, streaming through its stages of growth within seconds. Bark climbed and snapped to eventually produce a treant whose waist was as tall as the girl's head.

The animated oak stood still, before the leaves on its back's climbing branches began to shake and sway with a strange wind. Miniscule drops of water sprinkled onto Aria's face from above, and both the rain and wind picked up into a storm.

Aria didn't have to see to be able to recognize the Darkwind spell. This level of turbulent wind would no doubt interfere with her music.

In the Life Wizard's vision, the silhouette of Sasha's sound spread her stance and gathered another mass of energy. The fact that her fingers were tracing the sigil this time meant two things to Aria. Either, she was running low on mana, or worse, she was preparing a larger spell.

And she wasn't about to allow that. The treant saw its summoner pointing towards the Diviner, and gangly legs began stalking towards her. With hands, however, the girl's sigil drew twice as fast, and it blinked away in completion as the treant arrived. The tree's arms, wet from the rain, swiped out and threw her backwards, hitting the ground with a thud.

When the treant came up, its eyes noticed the growing mass of grounded cloud around its feet. A guttural roar accompanied an increase in the wind's velocity, and a strange form emerged from the center of the clouds.

A dragon's head, eyes an undisturbed shade of white-purple, came first, its head rimmed with a golden mane of bristled fur. Two clawed arms reached out and pushed its dark-purple, serpentine body out.

Sasha scrambled to her feet and watched her Squall Wyvern lift its scaled maw into a second roar, one that shook the ground around it. A full sheen of sweat and rainwater covered her skin, and with a labored breath, she called out for it to charge.

Aria's hands were already tracing another sigil. Upon completion, this one didn't steal one of her new pips. Instead, a circular floating plate materialized before her. It looked carved from wood, bearing a coffee brown sword against a forest green backdrop.

The Squall Wyvern reared up, then thrust forward at the treant, the creature barely holding the scaled beast back. Its claws crunched into the bark, and its jaws flared open. Pressurized wind poured out, more vicious than any Sasha had used. The force was so great that it began to peel the bark right off the creature. The treant couldn't feel pain, but Aria was sure the attack was taking its toll, and it would soon succumb to the beast's weight.

So she glanced down at the lifeblade before her, and closed her fist.

The green plate shattered into countless shards. Those same shards flashed into nothingness, and once they'd fully dispersed, it happened. A warm, green aura blazed around the treant.

Sasha watched the treant not only begin to endure the Wyvern's gusting breath, but inch by inch compete with the beast for dominance. Each struggled; gripping, slashing, crushing. Sinking teeth into bark and blasting more winds from its throat. Using the sharpened fingers of its free arms to stab into its opponent's scaly hide.

Aria and Sasha looked on in awe as the beast's effort culminated. The Squall Wyvern let out a last roar of defiance as its duration extinguished, and its body erupted in blasting light and wind that sent the girls reeling backwards.

Each combatant struggled to her feet over the next half minute, having slammed the ground harder than they expected. They looked up to see the Wyvern gone and the treant's wooden body torn, splintered, and mangled beyond recognition.

Their eyes flew to each other, sizing the other up. Both wheezed in and out, the Darkwind's rain intermingling with the sweat layering their skin. The churning winds lapped lightly at their clothing and hair. Each had their fair share of bruises. Adrenaline was distracting Sasha from her shallow abdomen wound, but she wondered how long the pain could be ignored.

Still, she was more concerned with the coldness of Aria's eyes, and managed a bit of humor as she rose to her feet. "Well aren't we vindictive?"

"You kidnapped members of my family." The Theurgist replied evenly. "I'm not exactly in the forgiving mood."

"Oh, is that right? You can't forgive _me_?" Sasha couldn't contain her bitter laugh. "You Wizards are quick to point out the speck in our eyes and ignore the branch in yours." She hunched forward a little, gritting her teeth. It took Aria only a moment to deduce where this was going. "How many of my sisters in Wizard City _alone_ have your kind hunted down? Tell me how many?" Her voice escalated, like a dam breaking. "No Wizard has the right to judge me!"

"And so you take it out on the fairies!" Aria's calm voice silenced Sasha, and the rain filled the silence before she picked back up. "They did absolutely nothing to you. Nothing at all!" Her voice began to rise as well. "I wouldn't care if you were a _Wizard _right now. I'm fighting you because you involved the innocent lives of my family."

"Shut up!" Sasha screamed right back, and her hands met in front of her to drawn another inverted Storm sigil. "That wasn't my fault! He forced me! It was all him!"

Aria, knowing nothing she could say would calm the girl now, decided to act. Her left hand reached in a pouch at her side while her right hand began to draw a sigil of her own. She retrieved a single seed. Her Life symbol finished just as her third pip formed.

All three imploded at once, leaving behind a brief flash of light and floating, metal shield the size of her earlier lifeblade. An elaborate design of a winged golden helmet stood rampant on its verdant green face, seemingly projecting defiance at whatever would harm its creator.

The moment it finished, Aria charged forward, keeping her body low. Sasha's own symbol yielded a swirl of clouds, and three purple bats wreathed in electricity. With shrill cries, they flapped their leathery wings into motion, screaming through the air. To the Witch's surprise and chagrin, the Theurgist ignored them. The Lightning Bats bounced harmlessly off the force field created by her Spirit Armor charm.

Sasha continued to power bats through the portal, her cry growing inversely to the bats'. Exhaustion was creeping upon her, but she couldn't stop now. Aria dodged what she could, but the bats proved too quick.

With one last burst of speed, she ate up the distance in a single bound, just as her Spirit Armor withered from the abuse. Sasha's Lightning Bat portal dissipated, finding it useless for the hand to hand that was sure to come. Both girls howled like Banshees. The Witch's right hand flew out for Aria's shoulder and neck, but not before the redhead's left hand straightened like a spearhead and plunged into the shallow abdomen wound.

Blood spurted forth as Sasha's body tensed upon the impact, and everything went dead silent save for the wind and rain. They stood transfixed for what seemed an eternity.

Eventually, Sasha's lips moved, and she brought her free left arm above her head. Electrical sparks danced on her palm. "You shouldn't have gotten so close. Even you can't survive an electrical current unprotected.

"Neither can you." The Theurgist smirked. Sasha angled her eyes down, confused, but as the moments passed, everything began to make sense.

Aria's fingers were buried inside her abdomen wound. Both of them were soaked in rainwater from the Darkwind. Any electricity she used right now would conduct through the waterlogged Aria and right into her.

Suddenly, another surge of pain jolted through Sasha's spine, and when she took notice, the strangest, most horrifying sight she'd ever seen came to her eyes.

A twig jutted from her abdomen wound, poking out from beside Aria's embedded fingers. What's more, it grew by the second, slowly, forking small offshoots and branches as time ticked by. Every inch of growth brought only a strain of anguish and agony, so much that her voice came out as a broken cry.

The Theurgist saw the fear and confusion register on her face. "Did you think that was an empty punch?" The girl continued, voice as cold and detached as before. "Unlike my family, who you kidnapped without any consent, I'll be generous and give you two choices. Have my seed grow and consume you, or use your electricity and probably kill us both." She leaned her head in a little more, lowering to a menacing whisper. "You and your hooded friend like to play games with other people's lives, but now it's your turn."

—o—o—o—o—o—o—

Ty Stormwhisper's staff twirled in his hands above his head. As it did, a Storm sigil traced itself in front of him. When the staff came down, the symbol shimmered briefly, and the two pips beside him popped into nothingness.

A dark portal of clouds and sparkling electricity formed above their heads. Victoria jumped a little at the trill shrieking within, and gazed up as three Lightning Bats emerged from the mass to swarm around them. Ty directed his index finger forward at their shrouded opponent, and the moment the bats began to slice through the air at him, Victoria and Tala were in motion, pouring on speed.

The electric mammals reached their target in half the time, clearing the distance with ease. They soon encircled his form—one flying clockwise, the two others choosing counter—electricity building up in the trails they left. Soon a web-like spiral of lightning surrounded the hooded man, and at the very last moment when the sparks had enveloped his position, he bunched his legs and leapt upwards. The electricity's buildup culminated and imploded in on itself before blasting the concrete beneath in a single explosion, forks of lightning shooting every which way.

While his momentum continued to carry his body up, the man angled his hood down below. Tala and  
Victoria went faster than they had before, not daring to waste a moment looking back. He supposed he should lament that their plan succeed, but he figured it was a trivial matter. Nothing those two did would hinder anything.

He lingered for half a second in the air before gravity turned the tides, bringing him back down into an easy crouch on the earth, just as the new Conjuror and Pyromancer passed through the tower's door. His return was met only with the menacing gaze of the Diviner ahead, and the weak defiant stance of the green eyed, black haired boy beside.

He couldn't hide his mirth. "Here we are again, Exseed, Mr. Stormwhisper. And just like last time, you'll learn how helpless you are."

"Not this time." Ty remarked, spreading his stance. One of his hands rose to the scar on his chest, underneath his clothes. "You won't beat me this time."

"Are you sure?" He pressed. "I mean, I've always beaten you in the past. I've always beaten you at everything, actually, ever since we were children. Ever since we first met. I doubt this time will be any different."

Ty didn't let the more youthful quality of the man's voice go unnoticed. "W-What? What are you talking about? Who are you?"

Another chuckle escaped his mouth, that deep raspy voice all but gone from him now. His hand rose slowly up to his head, grabbing the rims of his black hood. Then, with one measured draw backwards, it came free. The shadow dispersed from his head, and Ty and Fate both stared.

Breath caught in throats as they gazed into the blackened sclera of Malorn Ashthorn's eyes.


	20. The Darkest Night

**AN: Gasp! It was him! Kudos to anyone who figured it out. Anyway, Part 4!**

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

Jack Blackheart's breath crystallized and numb fingers found the strength to continue fingering through the playing cards in his hand. His eyes darted around. Gobblers, three or four, only one red. The stragglers had been banding together recently, but dwindling numbers halted any success.

"Pick a card, gentlemen." He held up five cards and spread them in a fan pattern. "Any card."

The greens stumbled forward. Only the red had the sense to avoid the obvious danger. When they entered his radius, however, a bubble for each descended from a high rooftop nearby, exploding as they touched on each of their foreheads and flinging them backwards. Startled, the red quickly made his escape, leaving Jack alone.

Annoyed scowl unhidden as Carla also descended on a bubble large enough to seat her. "Must you steal all my targets?"

"You're too flashy and loud with it." Jack ignored the blatant irony. "Have you seen Malorn anywhere?"

"No, why?"

She sighed dejectedly. "Me either. He was signed up for a shift tonight, but Captain Rosencranz says he never showed up."

Jack chuckled. "First Artur, and now Malorn? You'd think someone was kidnapping Journeymen." Carla's eyes widened in a fearful epiphany. "Kidding. I was kidding. He probably just forgot. Or went to the graduation tonight. I heard a few of his friends are in it."

She seemed accepting of the answer, and hopped off her bubble to join him on the ground before taking off after the escaping gobblers. But unbeknownst to her, Jack's own comment had his mind racing far more than he let on.

Because Malorn never missed an assignment for anything.

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Twentieth Pip: The Darkest Night**

* * *

_The rain fell continuously, driving into the paved flagstones of the Commons. The clouds above, an unyielding canopy of grey drifting in from Triton Avenue, suggested a thunderstorm, though not a trace of lightning snaked its way throughout. Only the soft pitter-patter of raindrops brought sound to the alleyway area he traversed. _

_His hand ruffled out the water-logged brown strands that couldn't stay out of his line of sight. Not that it was easy to see regardless. The rain's intensity, mixed with shallow morning fog, blocked all attempts at anything more than thirty feet ahead. Spillover from the flooding drain nearby caused his boots to slosh through walkway's rising water level._

_Making it harder to balance the sleeping blonde girl on his back._

_Starvation over the past week made the weight and resistance unbearable, and he collapsed with a defeated grunt. His body braced her fall, but even that hadn't awoken her. She'd been like that for a full day. If not for scarce breaths, he could have sworn she'd already passed on. _

_Perhaps it was his time instead. He couldn't move another inch. His body was frigid and still. It was impossible to steal any more scraps of food. They'd taken from local stalls enough to put every shopkeeper on vigilant watch. The only family they had left lived off in Marleybone, too disconnected to help them. _

_His eyelids drifted down, as rain pelted his skin. Yes, it was time to go. _

_No one would miss two homeless, thieving orphans. _

_A sloshing footstep snapped his eyes open, and his neck stole enough energy to angle his head forward. _

_The boy couldn't have been more than a year older than him. Waterproof cloak swathing his form in black, umbrella shielding his grey-accented black hair and exuberant face. The two watched each other for the longest time, silently, without motion. _

_Then, the umbrella boy's gloved hand reached out. "Here, let me help you."_

Ty collapsed to his knees as the memory flooded back. Eyes widened to tearing, pupil constricted to the width of needles. His whole body locked, swaying slightly, the crackling pips around him dissipating with his confidence and will to continue.

Malorn's grin split his face, and a haunting cackle drowned out the sound of flowing water around them. "And now you know everything. Funny, isn't it? How things can change just like that. How easily you humans betray each other."

The Diviner's head dropped, throat still too transfixed to allow a sound. Fate only now began to regain himself, bucking up amidst the fatigue wracking his body. "M-Malorn….why? Why would you betray us!"

"Betrayal?" The sudden softness in his voice surprised Fate. It was no longer deep and raspy, but his normal speaking tone. "I have betrayed no one. The only treachery here is that of your precious Ravenwood."

"Ravenwood?" Fate grew more angry and exasperated. "What are you even talking about? Have you gone insane!"

"No…" His face rose upwards to the emerald glowing canopy high above them. His hands soon followed, as if grasping at something, and the porcelain black of upturned sclera held a crazed glimmer. "I've been _enlightened_. This accursed school of order has committed its final trespass. And we will make things right. _We_ will undo this abomination."

Fate paused, unsure of what to do. He could only think to keep him talking. "Who is _we_?"

Malorn siphoned out a breath, like steam rushing from a pipe. A malevolent, invisible energy began to build up around him as his arms retracted and his face lowered towards the green-eyed boy. His feet spread over the stones, and hands thrust forwards. "If you defeat me, perhaps I'll tell you."

"I don't want to fight you Malorn." The Exseed pleaded.

"That's not Malorn."

Fate's head whipped down to Ty, who still hunched on his knees. Voice kindled with fury and determination. "I don't know what that thing is, but it's not Malorn." A pip began returning to his side, as his head rose, purple eyes glancing to Fate. "Right?"

The boy eventually nodded, smiling at his friend's return. "…R-Right."

The Storm wizard jumped to his feet, cracking his knuckles. "So if it's not him, then we'll have no trouble bringing it down."

"Really, Ty?" Malorn scoffed. His left hand reached to the side, radiating a dark purple aura, and cut a downward swathe. A churning rift filled the space, and discharged a quintet of skeletal warriors, a motley assortment of corroded weapons in hand. Blackened eye sockets gazed into the two boy's souls, as if eager to devour them. "You believe you stand any chance?"

That portal unnerved Ty more than the minions. Rifts were by-the-book Witch magic, without exception. Was this the cause of Malorn's uncharacteristic betrayal? Had he been delving in witchcraft? If so, it set the Diviner at ease. There was a chance they could still reach him.

"Do you have a plan?" Fate whispered.

Ty nodded, gathering a second pip. "Don't die."

Fate spread his stance, grimacing as three skeletons advanced. "That'll work."

—o—o—o—o—o—

The silence was unnerving as Victoria and Tala slipped through the door of the mysterious tower.

The interior was as far a cry from the bright stonework of the exterior as it could be. It was dark, light from windows placed more for decoration than illumination. Only burning lamps and candles provided coherent navigation, and their number put the cathedral in Marleybone to shame. Old wood creaked beneath their careful steps. Dark stone walls were barren, save the occasional hanging rune symbol.

With no other idea in store, the strong smell of paper led them past the open foyer and up the spiraling staircase in the corner.

The second floor was no less dark and intimidating, only now there were places to hide. It seemed more a storage room than anything. Rows of freestanding bookcases comprised its surface area, broken only by desks, boxes, barrels, or granite statues. Candles had a smaller population here than below. It was difficult to see more than ten feet ahead.

The silence was painful by this point. They'd been in the building for five minutes, and there hadn't been one sound that they didn't make.

Tala spotted an eerie light down a particular row, separated from most of the other candles. His and Victoria's minds recalled a scarecrow amongst the minion's ranks. With a nod, they approached slowly, carefully, hands gripped around wands. Breathing stopped to conceal their presence.

Victoria jumped out first.

Just another lamp.

Tala walked out after her, both somehow disappointed and relieved at the same time.

A chill ripped up their spines as hideous rattling flooded their ears.

The blade came down just as they broke to either side, smacking its rusted edge into the wood. The two wizards came up from their rolls simultaneously, taking in the creature's form in a split second. It was the same one for sure: black armor, helmet, and shield rimmed with gold, tattered crimson cloth for a kilt.

His scimitar jerked back, then swung around for Victoria. The pyromancer leaned back onto the ground as it passed overhead, then aimed her wand. A small burst of flames, a fireball, leapt from its head, crashing into the ribcage. The force made him recoil backwards, but the flames did nothing to impede him.

"Victoria! Move!"

They did give her enough time to scramble and dash down the row, just as Tala called out from the row over. She was solely focused on her speed, so much that she didn't realize what was happening until she heard it moments later.

The bookcase dividing their rows began to tip over, gaining speed as gravity reared its head. Books slid off one by one, and the skeleton's hobbling proved too late. It crushed his body underneath in a deafening clatter, tenuous silence on its coattails.

Seconds passed before she felt safe enough to relax, then she looked to Tala. His tattoos were in full force, visible due to a nearby oil lamp, and what she assumed supplied the strength to push the bookcase over.

He looked up to her, breaths haggard, and just after their eyes met, she caught a glance of a second candle materializing near him. It was odd, though. Its flame continued to burn brighter with each moment.

Until her eyes widened, and the flame burned bright enough to light the jack o' lantern's full head.

Tala sensed it as her yell went hoarse, and was already throwing himself to the ground. The stream of flames that poured from its pumpkin head flew over his head to the downed bookcase. Then, the scarecrow's body turned, and the stream whipped around to Victoria. She followed her friend's example, ducking first, then moving backwards as sparks and embers and heat and smoke burned overhead.

Tala rolled to safety, as did Victoria crawl, the two meeting up three bookcases over. They peered out and around, viewing the resulting destruction. The scarecrow's flame had ceased. Its fire consumed through much of the bookcases' dilapidated wood, crushing many caught in the crossfire. Even the air near them was singed and hard to inhale.

Then its pumpkin head stared blankly at the bookcase Tala had pushed over. And the figure pushing through books and wood from underneath.

Rattling sounded over crackling flames once more, the skeleton's entire body wreathed in leftover flame, burning like a demon.

—o—o—o—o—o—

Ty's lightning bats screamed through the air as the three skeletons charged. The bat's veered off to match each minion one for one.

The tactic succeeded for the most part. The front two didn't have the reaction time to avoid, and the electric creatures poured their fangs and momentum into the chest blow, knocking them off to the side and cracking bones beyond repair. The third skeleton, being in the back, escaped that fate. His double handed axe slashed an arc to pick off the remaining bat, knocking it harmlessly to the ground where it lost its charge and vanished in a flash of light.

His speed increased at his triumph, and the rusted weapon raised high once more. His target, Fate, stood just ahead of Ty, holding the staff the Diviner had brought and hoping to put it to practical use. He ducked under the first sweep, then sidestepped the overhand follow-up. As the axehead pierced the stone, Fate stepped forward. His staff bashed into the unprotected skull, freeing his bony grip and sending him reeling back.

He tossed the staff back to Ty. Then, his palms found the axe's handle, finding the piece much heavier than he assumed. The Diviner's request shook him from doubt and restraint. "Watch my back."

They dashed forward in tandem, side by side, blazing a path towards Malorn. To the necromancer's credit, he didn't seem fazed by the headlong charge. Instead, his expression was controlled as his fingers dexterously penned an inverted death symbol.

The three skeletons the boys had just dealt with sprung to a stand, forgoing damaged limbs, bones, and in Fate's case stolen weapons. The one of the two beside Malorn, wielding a spear, leapt into the fray as well. Ty and Fate came to a screeching halt as all four skeletons rushed from separate directions. On the Storm wizard's prior command, the duo was back to back.

Some skeletons had head starts on the others, but this only worked to their opponent's favor, allowing them to be picked apart one by one. Fate's axe work provided close combat finishing blows and Ty's reacquired staff let loose thin bolts of lightning from afar. Both dodged as necessary, most of the time by a hair's breadth. Their coordination was far from seamless, Malorn noted, but surprisingly effective. He also made a note of the strange trail of blood on Fate's mouth.

That same wizard's axe bisected the fourth skeleton in a diagonal arc, then his body was bee lining again, weapon reared back. Ty stayed put, descending to a knee and building up another pip.

Again, the necromancer was calm. Both hands flared with purple chaotic energy, and they thrust forward like a spear. Their separation parted the air like window curtains, wrenching open the largest portal yet.

Fate had a mind to stop this one. But the portal stabilized just as his axe swept horizontally.

And just as a bony hand emerged, catching the blade.

What stepped out and lifted Fate off the ground was nothing short of a monstrosity. Three gangly arms joined the fourth, followed by an eight foot tall hunched trunk and a quartet of supporting legs.

How it snarled without vocal chords, he couldn't tell. But that was the least of his worries. Gripping the handle tight and hanging in the air, he used all his might to twist his stomach and legs up, delivering a sharp kick at the creature's wrist. The action was forceful enough to dislocate something there, or at least to loosen his grip, and the boy fell the short distance to the ground, reaching out to absorb the impact.

He had no time to celebrate. Two arms hooked from his left, twice as fast as any of the skeletal warriors had been. He threw himself into a roll under them, escaping a right arm cross that hit his previous position. Out of chance, he caught sign of Malorn. He and the creature moved in tandem, arms with arms, stepping forward as the wizard did. Controlling it like that must have increased the speed and reaction time.

Something he regretted as one fist found his cheek, and a second to his gut sent him careening onto the ground dozens of feet away close to Ty.

Malorn wasted no time sending his summon in to finish them. But as the creature took a step, his controller felt a strange rumbling from under his feet. And an even stranger hiss.

His eyes flew up to Ty, just as the flaring head of a lightning snake emerged from the ground behind his minion. It lurched around the final skeletal minion that tried to impede its path, managing to sink its fangs into Malorn's right shoulder. A surge of electricity jostled his body, but before damage could escalate, the final skeletal warrior's broadsword cleaved the serpent in half, dissipating in a brief flash of light and electricity.

The action incapacitated him for nearly ten seconds. When he regained himself, he found Ty kneeling beside Fate, his mouth near the boy's ear, shaking his shoulders in an attempt to raise him.

The black haired boy looked out for the count though. More blood from either the last blow or earlier stained his chin and neck. His eyes seemed to take much of his energy staying open and alert. The rest purchased a staggering stand, with assistance from Ty.

It was a short lived transaction. Fate's eyes went wide as every inch of his body trembled. Vision blurred to near blindness. It was here again.

"_You are not complete_."

At the worst time.

Ty's confused yell didn't reach his ears as his body collapsed to the ground. "Fate, Fate get up! We have to move." Malorn's grin grew, and he walked forward around his four armed minion. "Fate! Come on!"

"Don't worry about me, Ty." The boy somehow cracked a weak smile. "Just get out of here."

"Are you stupid!"

"I think that's an intelligent decision." Malorn downgraded to a smirk. "Cut your losses, right? Just like you humans always do. 'Sacrifice for the greater good', or something like that."

"Shut up!" The Diviner roared, pips bursting into existence with his temper. His staff swung around, a single fork of lighting leaping from its amethyst jewel towards Malorn. The necromancer quickly made his skeletal warrior move ahead of him, then raise its broadsword high in the air. The lightning arced downward towards the weapon's tip, lighting the framework of bones with blinding torrents.

Ty was already planning ahead of that redirection. Storm sigil after storm sigil materialized and dissipated, the same with his pips. Both giving birth to lightning bats from a swirl of dark clouds before him. The now dozen and counting creatures' cries sang with thunder, encircling the Diviner high above his head. When he'd amassed enough, his raging yell sent them slicing through the air at once.

Malorn, face surprised for the first time since the battle began, shoved his skeletal warrior from his path and dove at his four armed monstrosity. The bats arrived just then, circling around their position like ravenous vultures but with the speed of a cyclone. The electricity wreathed around them singed the air, and as the few stragglers joined, they dove in and let loose all their power.

The voracious sparks gobbled up the air around their target, a buzzing torrent that spread for at least a dozen feet. The cloud of smoke and debris followed seconds after, shielding the exhausted Storm Wizard's view. He could only wait now, and watch.

And pray to Bartleby it had been enough.

"Really now?"

The raspy, more strained voice dashed his hopes. The smoke wafted away to reveal the four armed skeleton, bones blackened by the attack. Its ribcage was now much wider, and any gaps were filled with condensed bones. The cage cracked open from the front, and the black swathed form of Malorn Ashthorn stepped out. Worse for wear, burned by electricity in places, but still very much intact.

He continued. "A valiant effort, but did you think you won?" That line made Ty realize how similar all this was to the attack in Victoria's dorm. Fate was out for the count, he himself was on the verge of exhaustion, and the necromancer's skeletons had saved him from another last ditch effort. "There is no hope for you. You will never surpass me."

The four armed skeleton stalked to the Diviner, too drained of energy now to even stand, and brought two fists around to send the wizard into the air. He smacked into the ground with a heavy grunt, rolling like a rag doll to a stop.

Malorn approached his summon again, stopping before its ribcage. Then, facing forwards, he backed into it as the bone-like hoops pried open, then closed around him. Its torso raised to stand straight, the necromancer's body suspended at the center as if wearing the creature like a suit of armor.

Ty's head rolled over in his haze, and spied the skeletal warriors they'd defeated before. Their bones began to unlatch one by one, pulled by some unknown force to join the Malorn-minion combination.

But more than that, what saddened and frightened the Storm wizard the most was his crazed black sclera, shining with sadistic glee.

He somehow found his way to his feet, using his staff as ballast. Then, a mixture of anger and betrayal twisted his face, lips letting loose a quiet voice. "What happened to you? This isn't the Malorn I know at all."

"You say that, but did you ever really know him?" That sentence set the Diviner off. Not what he said, but how he said it. The 'we' from before, and now this. This lack of first-person words.

"Yes I did. Yes I do know him." He corrected himself, voice still calm. "He's a great pianist, even when I tell him his music bores me to tears. He's the most famous Journeyman Wizard in all of Wizard City. He's the one who took Victoria and I in when we had nowhere else to go…" He paused, gulping once, near breathless. "And he's the man that I've always chased after. That I've always wished to be like. "

Ty split his feet and began twirling the staff like a fan blade before jutting its tip into a crack near him. His palms thrust out to the left and right, head down. As still as the calm before the storm.

"Whether you come quietly or I have to drag your body. When you come back, don't tell Professor Balestrom about this. He doesn't like when I get ahead of the curriculum." Malorn's face grimaced slightly at the appearance of a pip. Wild and exuberant. Golden. "I've saved this spell just for you."

The necromancer's eyes wrenched as far open as possible. A second power pip joined the first, right next to Ty's trembling, pain-wracked body. But that was impossible, at least for an Initiate like Ty. Even Journeyman wizard's like himself had trouble maintaining two power pips. They didn't overstay their welcome, bursting out of existence with the finished storm sigil.

The sudden absence of anything set Malorn on edge.

Then, Ty's ear-splitting roar failed to outdo the sudden onrush of wind, rain, and electricity from every direction, converging at a point ahead of him. The frenzied mass spiraled into the air, climbing until they spread out at the ceiling, forming a tornado of dense clouds. The water beside the bridge churned and roiled with excitement, and the winds whipped at everything not anchored down: glittering leaves, skeleton's weapons, clothing.

Thick, scaled, purple arms jutted suddenly from the turmoil's center, then swung into a thunderous clap that tore the tornado in half and brought silence once more.

Toughened muscle layered under scales and every inch of its upright body. Electric streamers danced over and around, and its long, finned tale waved away a patch of leftover cloud. Solid white eyes held primal majesty incomparable to anything Malorn had witnessed in a long time.

Even with the overwhelming strain of maintaining his Kraken, Ty kept a firm stare leveled at the necromancer.

Malorn's face changed from fear to a victorious grin as an epiphany struck him. "Superb. Absolutely superb, Ty Stormwhisper. Even we won't be able to withstand something like that."

The Diviner watched the skeleton sweep an arm low on Malorn's command, lifting something from the ground and holding it out before him.

Fate. "But I wonder, could you sacrifice your comrade to do it?" The Exseed lay somewhere below full consciousness, eyes lidded, head bobbing with the skeleton's slight movements of its hand. However possible, Malorn's grin widened. "Can you do it, Ty?"

Ty made no move, no twitch.

And then said the one thing the necromancer didn't expect.

"Sure I can."

His arms flared out, energy building around him. In response, the Kraken glared at its target and reached a right hand high into the air. A flood of energy pooled around the spot from its entire being and the air, forming a wild ball that thinned and straightened into the shape of a lightning bolt.

"Are…you a fool?" Nervousness entered the Death Wizard's voice. "This. This is the Exseed! You would sacrifice him for a small victory like this!"

"No. I would never do that." The Kraken spread its webbed feet, and cocked its right arm back, holding out the left for aim and balance. "Fate won't go down from something this small."

Malorn disbelieved that. The Diviner was bluffing for sure. He wouldn't really fire.

The necromancer caught a glimpse of Fate for a moment, just as the Kraken was rearing back a little more, to the edges of its joints. As Ty kept speaking. "You've tried to kidnap Fate before. Did you think we wouldn't prepare for a hostage situation?"

He didn't absorb the full weight of those words until Fate's faint, weak smile caught his sight. And a purple, metallic shield materialized in the air right beside the boy.

Or rather uncovered.

"_A cloaked storm shield!_"

Everything happened all at once. Malorn forced the skeleton's body to turn and run. Ty screamed out once again and unleashed all the pent up energy around him. The Kraken followed through and released its attack. The lightning spear screamed through the air like a banshee. Detonating as it hit the skeleton's spine and exploded in every direction, consuming Fate's storm shield and the area around them in debris, dust, electricity, and air.

—o—o—o—o—o—

Everyone within the black, swirling dome was quiet. They'd long since calmed down over the thirty minutes since they'd been in, thanks mostly to Ambrose and the professor's guidance. Lights, not candles, had been passed around for visibility, and anything that burned oxygen was quickly put out. Professor Balestrom did his best to assist in supplying more through his magic. Some people hunched in the feeble position on their chairs, more cowering in the arms of friends or loved ones, and others' eyes roved, searching tirelessly for a way out.

To no avail. The dome, its edges, even the floor below them was completely obscured by the dark, impenetrable energy. As Ambrose had explained earlier to the crowd.

Witch portal magic, a kind he'd seen before and had hoped to never see again. All portals were meant for transference of individuals or objects, but this particular one was used for capture instead, locking its victims within the torn dimensions of a portal. Creating an entry point, but no exit.

How their current assailant could manage one so large was a mystery to the old wizard. One he planned to figure out soon. Something this size could not be maintained for long, no matter its creator.

"Is there anything we can do, headmaster?" Herbert Runewarden asked from beside him, watching a Cyclops on the far side bang his fists against the dome wall.

"I'm afraid not." He worked his jaw, answering after a time. "We do not yet have a way to counteract portals. Only time will decide our fate now."

The minutes passed by again, without any real sense of how many. People began to wander around just for the sake of it, anything to break the monotony and fear creeping upon them. Every second began to look like the last.

Sometime later, something caught Cyrus Drake's watchful eye at the very apex of the dome. A swirling discoloration, another portal perhaps? He wasn't sure, but over the seconds it began building and spreading, opening what he assumed to be a hole to the outside.

Only a voice projected from it. "Greetings, my friends."

Every professor and assistant professors' eyes went wide, and they all spun towards the source, faster than the rest of the masses could turn. Each of them knew that voice.

Ambrose's calm but subtly enraged voice caused a flood of whispers. "Dworgyn."

A pleasant chuckle. "Ah, you remember me Ambrose. I'm glad. That'll make all of this much easier."

"So it was you that escaped from Briskbreeze." Professor Greyrose stated, the warmth in her motherly voice all but gone. "And I presume this portal is your work as well."

"More or less. I may have a part in it."

"What do you want, Dworgyn?" Ambrose picked up. "You would be wise to explain yourself now, while I am incapable of annihilating you were you stand."

"At ease, Headmaster. I bring no harm. I am actually on your side." The silence confirmed their disbelief. "Honestly, I am. I'm here to bring you the truth."

"Truth?" Cyrus scoffed with a scowel. "And you find it necessary to imprison us to do so."

"Not that you'd give me a chance otherwise. But make no mistake, Cyrus." The Myth professor was surprised how he divined his identity so easily. "This barrier is not to imprison you, it is to prevent his escape."

"His?"

Dworgyn mirth dispersed. "The traitor, of course."

"Traitor?" Dalia Flamea stepped forward to take her turn, arms crossed, voice lacking none of its usual flame. "Someone in your position has quite the nerve to call treachery. What makes you think any of us will believe what you have to say."

"Oh you're right, none of you will. That's why I brought him."

There was a momentary pause, interspersed with the shuffling of feet and the timed pounding of a walking stick against the floor. All eyes stared up into the portal above, most skeptical of the necromancer's claim. Until they heard his voice, firm and unwavering as possible.

Susie's elated scream sent gasps running over the crowd like wind across grain fields. "Artur! You're okay!"

"Yes. I'm alright." His voice seemed pleased to hear her, but quickly returned to business. "Headmaster, everyone inside please listen to me. Dworgyn is speaking the truth. Please allow me to explain."

Whispers and murmurs roiled again, but with Ambrose soon quieted them down. "Go on, Artur."

"I'm sure many of you heard about the attack in Gobbler dorm a few months before. A few of our students were attacked by someone with witch magic." He carefully pieced the tale together, avoiding specifics and details associated with confidential information. "Recently, we were able to find traces of the escape portal, and I was sent to follow and scout out its end. I was captured by the assailant's group at their headquarters, but Dworgyn was the one who freed me and secretly brought me along."

"See, I told you." Dworgyn chimed in.

"Artur, where was the headquarters?" Ambrose nudged after more whispers quieted down. "What have you learned? Tell us, quickly."

An uncomfortable pause. Cyrus prodded this time. "Quickly, boy. Is the culprit within the dome, as Dworgyn said?"

"Yes. Before I was captured, I caught a glimpse of the headquarters' address." They could hear a deep breath, and then Artur steeled his voice. "…Thirty Nine Gwydion Way."

Everything lost sound instantaneously, the address ringing through each professor's mind. Gwydion…a fairly high class street in the commons, home to many accomplished wizards and even a few Ravenwood faculty. Most notably—

Cyrus's body made a complete spin, just in time to see Malistaire Drake slam his staff into the ground.

—o—o—o—o—o—

That was it.

Ty was spent. Completely and wholly spent. Every last bit of mana in his body, every ounce of energy not keeping him breathing.

That last attack had taken everything out of him. And hopefully out of his opponent. The Kraken's lightning spear had marred the bridge stonework beyond recognition, and the four armed skeleton was nothing but vaporized husks of bone as black as a moonless night. Malorn's body lay buried beneath them, unmoving. Fate tossed and turned in pain some ways away.

Its mission accomplished, the Kraken glanced back at the Diviner. Electricity wafted from its scales, taking pieces of its body until the creature vanished into nothingness, and its final roar of bestial pride left Ty as awestricken as its first.

But he chose not to dwell on it. "Fate. Fate!"

He couldn't even crawl, resorting to worming across the ground. Fate regained some control over himself, enough to roll and face his friend, but looked just as exhausted and powerless as the Storm Wizard. Parts of the outfit he'd bought for graduation were singed beyond repair, and there were small electrical burns in places, but the Storm shield they'd hidden on him did well to hold up against the Kraken's might.

While Fate charged forward, Ty found the time to coat the shield before getting the Lightning Snake off, and Malorn's recovery after that gave them the time to place it. But to think Fate suggested it blew the Diviner's mind.

"Ty."

The breathless whisper sent fear ripping through both the boys. Their eyes shifted and laid sight on the last thing they wished to see.

Malorn sat upright, only his knees holding up his swaying body, staring somewhere afar off. There were a few things different about him though. His voice had sounded youthful and unstrained. His eyes were no longer blank slates, but filled with the exuberance Ty had always witnessed in them. That alone gave the Diviner hope. Hope that the boy in front of them now had returned to his senses.

"Ty."

"…Malorn?"

"Ty, please." A tear fell from his right eye. "Please save me. Don't let him take me again."

Before Ty could even think to respond, Malorn's voice erupted in a wicked, mindless scream. His head reared back in excruciating pain, palms trying to contain his temples, face the color of death.

A sinister shadow began to pour out from his body, through his mouth, eyes, and the pores of his skin. It snaked upwards and back, hissing with burning malevolence, and coagulated behind the boy. Seconds passed before it began to take shape and mass.

The bones from all the summoned skeletons not only converged again into a single frame, but returned to their ivory luster as well. Supplemental shadow formed a black wispy cloak, ghostly blue radiating in eye sockets from underneath the hood. Two onyx raven wings stretched to either side, and the resulting gust of wind managed to push Malorn's now-unmoving body down to the ground, his usefulness depleted.

As the long shaft and blade of a scythe materialized before Lord Nightshade, Ty and Fate both understood that this was the end, and that there was no hope.


	21. Daybreak

**AN: Alright boys and girls. This is the grand finale of the Wizard City saga. Hope you've enjoyed so far. I'll probably take a small break after next chapter. Have at it! :) **

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, elements, or borrowed plot ideas from any source I acquire them from, specifically KingsIsle. I merely own any original characters I create.

"Blah" = talking

"_Blah_" = thoughts, writing, sound effects, or flashbacks

"BLAH"= Yelling

* * *

If they had caught it sooner, perhaps by a mere second.

As it was, Malistaire's long staff—topped by a ruby egg encircled by a golden dragon figurine—slammed against the gymnasium floor, sending out an onyx-hued shockwave that sent all around him reeling back, screams soaring into the air. Those far enough managed to move just as it appeared, but could not escape its rapid expansion.

Those that had been close—namely the professors—had all leaped well out of the way, carried great distances by magical augmentation. Cyrus himself landed in a staggering crouch. When he looked up, he saw that the shockwave had crippled everything in a large radius around his brother. Tables broken, the floor itself dented inwards. With the Head Professor of Necromancy at its epicenter.

Reaching out a hand, swathed in chaotic purple energy.

"Malistaire! M-Malistaire!" Cyrus roared over the deafening commotion. Of the million questions burning through his head, only his brother's name seemed to articulate everything there was to say. There were no words to describe what was happening before his eyes.

Dworgyn's seemed to have a few. "And now he finally shows his true nature. The Professor who destroyed his own school and had the cowardice to place blame on his assistant."

Many flinched at the revelation, but Malistaire finished the chaotic portal undaunted. He said nothing towards the claim. The other professors' magical energy began building within them, pips flaring with the speed only those of their station could manage.

"I had hoped to remain hidden, but my hand has been forced." The pale necromancer stepped in through the portal, his words resounding throughout the dome's interior.

"What are you doing, brother!" Cyrus fell to his knees, crying out with a broken voice.

"Reversing this grave sin." He made no eye contact, sealing the special tear behind him. "May we never meet again, Ravenwood."

Shattering ice, voliatile flame, and raging lightning blasted away his voice and the spot he occupied, blinding all around. Professor Balestrom, Flamea, and Greyrose stood with outstretched wands, unyielding eyes peering into the destruction. But they knew it was far too late. He was already gone, and they had no hope of pursuit.

* * *

**EXSEED**

**Twenty-first Pip: Daybreak**

* * *

From the time Aria played her hand, Sasha knew she'd been caught. The Theurgist's spirit armor had given away under her stream of lightning bats, but both were now in dire straits, on the precipice of passing out. The vines sprouting from the grass below and entangling Aria and Sasha together seemed the only thing holding the former up, and the latter was faring no better. Especially with seed growing across her body, slowly overtaking her.

"Not much time left." Aria warned, as if daring her. "You might want to make a decision soon."

The Darkwind's pouring rain waterlogged her voice, and seeped into the Diviner's wound, straining her face. But she stood her ground, firmly planted her foot, and steeled her plum eyes. An inverted Storm sigil traced in the thin space between them.

Aria grimaced. "So you'll take us both out then."

"No." Sasha said. "Just you."

Aria had neither had the time to gasp or react as the sigil dispersed and created a storm shield. The vines had locked them both in place; there was no escape for her. Electricity began building up on Sasha' skin, and she roared. Forks split off in every direction, running over both their forms and evaporating the grass and dirt beneath, gobbling up the rain as it expanded.

It all happened in a single ear-splitting shriek, and dispersed all the same. The vines singed off, Aria's badly burned body fell to its knees, swaying for a moment, then let the remaining grass catch her. Sasha remained standing only due to the shield, struggling through the unbearable pain, before starting towards the large door. An unsettling quiet loomed. The implanted seed had stopped.

She had won.

—o—o—o—o—o—

Black wings folded in after lowering his body to the floor. Waving tongues of darkness poked forth from his tattered cloak like flames. His very presence faded the stone beneath. Even the air around him, with all the vitality the Grandfather Tree provided, became stagnant and heavy, difficult to assimilate.

If anything had earned the title of death incarnate, it had been the most infamous wraith in history.

As the historical accounts dictated, his defeat at the hands of Merle Ambrose nine hundred fifty years ago made way for Ravenwood to be built after the great wizard's departure from Avalon. The great age of wizardry began and prospered, common knowledge all but leaving him behind. But whispers that he had not truly been defeated—only weakened—persisted through the ages in bedtime stories to scare rowdy children to sleep.

It seemed there'd been truth to them. And though a shadow of his former self, both Ty and Fate knew there was nothing that could stop him.

"It seems you have forced my hand, wizards." His voice was dark and raspy, and his jaw never moved as it projected. "This vessel has outlived its usefulness."

Ty forced his arms to prop his body up, even though his legs wouldn't move. "How! Headmaster destroyed you!"

"No mortal may claim _my_ destruction." The whisper brushed passed the Diviner's ear like the wraith was over his shoulder.

Ty grimaced, collapsing again to the floor but keeping his sight locked on the wraith. Was there any hope for either of them? Fate seemed to have regained himself somewhat, but was still incapable of anything significant. Both of them were, really.

And as both wracked their brains for an answer, footfalls tapped against the stone behind them, edging closer and closer. Elation struck their visage. Could it be Aria? If anything, she could at least help them escape.

That elation shattered as Nightshade spoke with demented mirth. "Ms. Gryphonbane. How pleasant of you to join us."

The girl stopped a little ways behind the boys, too fearful of the sinister creature to move any closer. Her palm stretched across over her abdomen wound, and she struggled to remain in a stand. Her bravado was not lost in her apprehension. "So you were controlling Malorn? Figures."

"Such a weak will for one so admired. He was rather…simple to manipulate." Sasha couldn't help feel that the remark was pointed at her as well, and she gritted her teeth at it. But the wraith did not notice it. Instead, his glowing eye sockets flashed briefly, as if he had some sort of epiphany. His voice gained an ominous glee his face could not match. "Ah, the souls tell me our charge has acted. Our time for departure draws nigh."

"Well…good luck with that." Sasha remarked, gathering herself and heading back down towards the door. "My job's completed. I no longer have a reason to stay around." Her steps echoed as she drew farther, passing the towering, lifeless treant teetering on the bridge's edge.

And they stopped as Lord Nightshade chuckled. "You seem mistaken. Your task is far from over."

"What!" She spun on her heel, roaring. "Malorn promised my freedom after this job!"

"But _I_ promised you nothing." His jaw cracked open ever so slightly, and she could see it as nothing other than a smirk. Her pupils constricted in fury, and crackling streamers began to dance around her, but the wraith continued undaunted. "You grow angry, but tell me this. Where do you plan to go? This incident will reveal your identity. Ravenwood will hunt you down as a witch. The witches will likely do the same for conspiring with us. Even your own family, name tarnished by this betrayal, will shun you. You have nothing left, Sasha."

Sasha's anger fell word by painstaking word, and despair rushed to fill the gap. The more it coursed through her head, the more she realized he was right. With so few numbers, the Wizard City witch council held a strict non-aggression rule against Ravenwood, and this had surely broken it. And as a single tear rolled from her eye, she considered the idea that this had been their plan all along. To force her into servitude through excommunication.

"Do you understand now?" Nightshade's bony hand rose, beckoning her. "Come to me."

At first, she was against the mere thought. This despicable, detestable form of pure malevolence would never…but his eyes, flickering with mesmerizing light, drowned out every sight and sound as they locked with hers. She found herself pulled by some strange force, like down a darkened corridor towards the light at the end.

Ty and Fate watched as Sasha's eyes glazed over, and she robotically walked towards the wraith in silence. They weren't sure what to make of the whole situation, but they knew one thing. She was being controlled by him, just like he'd taken Malorn. And they weren't about to let him have a second victim.

Sasha's shoe touched down next to Ty's body, and his flew out to grab it. She stopped, but made no other reaction until Fate leapt in front of her, arms outstretched, back to her and staring defiantly at Lord Nightshade. Her consciousness returned as the wraith's attention shifted to the Exseed.

"You dare to defy me, boy?"

Fate flinched and blinked, and then it happened. One moment Nightshade was a few dozen feet away, the next he was cupping Fate's hand in his chin, leaning the ashen bone of his face. The movement had no sound or warning. Just like death.

The next movement was its foil. The wraith's jaw stretched to its joint's limits, and an inhuman howling sent ripples across the lake below. Fate's eyes rolled back in his head, and every muscle locked in place. A strange ethereal substance leaked from him like escaping smoke, being drawn into Nightshade's mouth. Nightshade's voice projected from his head. "Exseed or not, you are only human."

Ty screamed, and his free hand flew up, gathering all that was left in him. A potent burst of wind slammed into Fate's side, propelling him into a lob. The boy careened off the side of the bridge head first, unconscious, then plunged into the water, sinking until he could no longer be seen.

The ethereal wisps of Fate's soul dispersed, now cut off from their source, and Nightshade calmly turned to the smirking Diviner. "I…won't let you have him."

"He matters not, and neither do you." The wraith's voice scraped against his bony neck on its way out. But suddenly, he sensed something far off, somewhere in the tower. As he craned his head, he was rewarded to its front door peeking open, and two indiscernible figures squeezing through, coming across the bridge.

Ty lost whatever vitality remained in him, as the sound of rattling bones filled his ears. The summoned skeleton and the hovering scarecrow moved towards them, the former bearing a faded burlap sack filled to the brim with items and trinkets. The latter carried a strapped cylinder over his shoulder, dyed in onyx and swathed with gold embroidering. It looked more like a map canister than anything.

But their most defining feature was the absence of any others. And the blood stains on their bleach white bone and gray smock, where fire failed to singe.

Nightshade's hand cut a vertical swathe to create a chaotic rift, but this one was more dark and robust than any Ty had seen yet. He beckoned Sasha again, and she kicked her foot free of Ty's grasp, walking undaunted up to the portal. "Take them, and escape." Both minions handed her their items, the sack and map canister, and with some effort she passed through. "_He_ awaits you."

The rift fastened shut behind her, and the three remaining turned to Ty. Nightshade continued. "This is the end, Mr. Stormwhisper."

—o—o—o—o—o—

The darkness swelled around her, enveloping everything in a thick layer of emptiness. Light was wholly absent. All the beautiful vibrant greens that once constituted her vision, their crests and falls, their shapes that fought against the loneliness of her blindness, withered away to the overarching shadow. Her echolocation faded with her consciousness, all in the split second it took Sasha's lightning to rip through her.

She hadn't felt her limp body hit the ground, nor heard the sound. There was no pain or feeling. There was only nothing but the sound of her tears in her mind. She didn't imagine what was going to happen to her the moment she fell. She was concerned with it, and she didn't fear it. What truly frightened her was her failure to protect her friends, and the lack of sound. It scared her more than anything else. Because sound was everything to her, it was how she related to existence. And without it she was helpless, incomplete, alone.

Nothing.

And in the space left in its absence, her hazy thoughts harkened back to the past.

_A time when it was just as dark as it was now. Even despite the fact that she traveled down Unicorn Way, the most beautiful neighborhood in Wizard City. Or so she was told. For all the delicious smells, twittering birdsong converging into symphonies, velvet grasses brushing her bare feet; she could see none of it. All was a pitch black curtain. She knew it was useless, but something always persuaded her to accompany Prima through town and break off. _

_She sat alone at the center of Unicorn Park, feet out, her six year old form clothed in a patchwork dress that'd been handed down one too many times. Her blank expression mirrored her thoughts. An empty husk housed in red hair, pale skin, and a world she longed to experience in full. _

"_Greetings."_

_She angled her head upwards towards the voice, warm and pleasant. Few ever approached her like this, and she'd honestly thought she'd been alone. "H-Hello."_

"_Why do you always sit here alone, child?"_

"_I'm not alone." She pointed ahead of her. "My sister is right over there in that shop." The girl was unconcerned that it may not have been the right direction. The visitor's giggle only confirmed her mistake. "Well she's somewhere around here." _

"_I know she is close, my dear. But I asked why you always sit here alone. I see you here at the same time every day, always sitting here, letting your youth waste away." The girl didn't considered being watched so often unnerving. She'd never been paid more attention from someone outside her family. _

"_I'm…blind." No matter how desensitized she thought she was, the word always tasted bitter when it left her tongue. "I can't play with anyone else. If I go somewhere, I'll get lost." She tucked her legs in close. "I don't like to be lost." _

"_You're right. Not knowing where you are is frightening. Darkness is a scary thing, isn't it?" The girl nodded reservedly. "But there's a trick to escape it."_

"_There is?"_

_The visitor nodded, with a smile the girl couldn't see. "All you have to do is sing."_

_The girl immediately opened her mouth, drew in her breath and began to make sound, causing the visitor to giggle again. After thirty seconds and shortness of breath, the girl's cheeks puffed in discouragement. "It's still dark. You lied."_

"_Here." The girl heard footsteps brushing across the grass, then slender, delicate hands rested on her shoulders. They were warm and soothing, just like her voice, and instantly all of the fatigue and conflict buzzing throughout the girl dissipated. A head leaned down to her ear, whispering. "Try it one more time."_

_The girl closed her eyes for all the good it did, sucked in another breath, and this time started out slowly, gaining pitch, tone, and volume as each second passed. Again, nothing happened. Darkness was still here, and seemed deeper than before. She opened her eyes, ready to reprimand the lady when her breath cut off. _

_Undiluted green spread out in every direction like an explosion, churning and fluctuating with ever correction of her voice. Everything around her illuminated in a soft glow. Every blade of grass, every floating speck of dust, the grooves between the flagstones, bustling insects and fairies. Her voice bounced off them all, painting their outlines in radiant emerald against the black canvas of her blindness. _

_Her eyes turned, full of unspeakable joy and unrestrained tears, to regard the vistor's form. Even with green as her only color, she was marvelous, and seemed to light up more as she spoke. _

"_If you're ever lost or afraid, just sing." Lady Oriel enclosed her in a hug. "And the darkness will always flee."_

Aria's cry was peaceful and unbroken, a single note held for what seemed like an eternity. It floated to the domed ceiling, bouncing off the falling crystalline leaves and echoing to the far corners.

And just like that, a single speck of green light pierced the blackness. The dark burned away like parchment ablaze and conceded to a jade radiance of blinding levels. She remained on her back, arms and legs sprawled and unmoving, only maintaining that note. A note that called out to the soil beneath, the climbing roots and vines beside and above, and to farthest reaches of the Grandfather Tree.

A note that did not fall on deaf ears.

—o—o—o—o—o—

His body sunk from the lake's surface, swaying with the water like paper through small breezes. His breath escaped in bubbles, and his descent became more vertical. His clothes had absorbed some of the impact, but he had still hit the surface tension rather hard, and it pained him greatly. Ty had not been finicky about the method.

Even though the water at the top was clear, a murky blue covered the lower end of the lake, so much that he couldn't see more than twenty feet ahead of him. The surface illumination signaled him. Despite the pain wracking his entire body, despite how much of damage Lord Nightshade had caused him. Despite his incompleteness. His fight was not yet over.

But what good would it do? Aria was defeated. Tala and Victoria were defeated. Ty was on his last stretch. And he was at the bottom of a lake, body too exhausted and broken to even force a breathing reflex.

Sand kicked up as his back hit the lake floor. Their opponents had already secured what they needed, and that monstrosity of a wraith would finish them off.

Perhaps there was nothing to this Exseed business after all. Ambrose had made it sound so grand and important, but all it'd brought him was fainting and pain. He had no power of his own. He couldn't even cast a spell. He had nothing to save anyone. Not even to protect his friends.

Yeah…he wasn't needed after all. And with no purpose, he was better off taking his rest.

He opened his eyes one last time, to take in as much as he could before he passed this world on.

And saw a single, crystalline leaf drift down to rest on his forehead.

Another one joined it soon after, followed by another and another. But more than them, his waterlogged ears, popping under the water pressure, registered a strange sound. Strange in that it was far off, but he could hear it like it was next to his ear. It took him a few moments to place it, but eventually he figured it out.

It was Aria's voice. He didn't know how or why, but it was definitely her. And as it passed the threshold, the water itself brightened to glass-like levels. The leaves, now falling down by the hundreds, shined like firecrackers to tint the water green. Most of all, the water seemed to draw out his exhaustion, and while he could not breathe, his body no longer called for air. He paddled his way to an upright float, twisting to take in his surroundings.

And then he looked down. A single spot on his chest glowed under his clothes. A thin sliver, really. The size of the jewel Aria had synthesized into him months ago. Its light pushed through the fabric and enveloped him in a white/beige glow. And every fragment of light from the sinking leaves left their hosts and joined it.

All illumination converged at his body, just as a new voice spoke over Aria's long note. A deep, controlled whisper that nearly tore at the seams with the unrelenting force of all creation.

"Rise, my paragon."

—o—o—o—o—o—

Ty struggled for air amidst Lord Nightshade's grip around his neck, rough fingers scraping against his skin. The wraith held him feet above the ground, unrelenting from the Diviner's continued thrashing. Cavernous eyes glowing with radiant wickedness regarded his conquest, but could not fully appreciate it.

Not with the sustained singing filling the area around him.

"The Storm Witch failed to finish the girl off." He remarked in annoyance, inclining his head to Rattlebones and the Harvest Lord. "Silence her. She is an ear sore. "

"No!" Ty snarled, banging weakened fists against the wraith's arm. Using everything he had to snap the bone and escape. "Don't you dare! I won't let you take anyone else from me."

"You are in no position to make demands." Nightshade's voice rattled with bemusement. "Your comrades are dead, your remaining one shall soon join them, and your Exseed has been defeated. Accept your reality, wizard. You have lost."

Aria's singing cut off instantaneously. The sudden absence of her voice startled both Nightshade and Ty, and caused the latter's eyes to widen. Silence reigned for the better part of ten seconds, with the Diviner looking around. The skeleton and scarecrow were still there, so what could have caused the sudden—

Low rumbling forced his attention to the lake, where he'd thrown Fate, and the Storm Wizard half though the bridge would collapse from it. The water was clear now compared to before. He could see the bottom, and the form at the bottom distorted by the water. The blur began to rise, inch by inch, and with it the once undisturbed surface began to swirl. Still water churned like a raging storm, and a violent whirlpool opened its maw at the epicenter of it all.

Magnificence emerged from the whirlpool. It was the only word that could describe it. Hair that rivaled snow waved about in the small drafts encircling him. His skin shone with a pulsing beige glow, and once green irises vanished, leaving solid white sclera. Solid white sclera that regarded all in their vision with perfect equality. Nature itself went silent at his presence. If not for the clothes, Ty would never have thought this being before him was Fate Evergreen.

Fate's floating form lowered until soles rested atop the water. Then, he took steps towards the bridge. Even steps, balanced steps, never off kilter. His final leap easily cleared twenty feet, and placed him back on the bridge surface.

"So the Exseed reveals himself." Nightshade's ivory claw released Ty, and the boy fell to the ground with a thud. "But this changes nothing. Your fate has already been deci—"

The wraith stopped cold, as he noticed a plume of dust and smoke rising from his left arm. Or what used to be his left arm. Only a cracked, broken stub remained in its place, rimmed by the tatters of his cloak's sleeve. His sight flew up to Fate, with arm outstretched, excess energy from his blast dissolving.

And reforming into successive blasts. Five more hurtled towards the wraith, whose scythe swept horizontally to knock them from the air. All avoided his main body, but three passed his attack so cleanly that they couldn't have been aimed at him. A notion confirmed as Rattlebones ribcage exploded on impact behind him, and the scarecrow's straw burst in every direction, its smashed head hitting the stone with a wet 'plop'.

Ty glanced up at the wraith momentarily, and what his stoic face hid, his newfound posture and hesitance spoke.

Fear.

Fear his bravado could not mask. "Your…paltry spells will not conquer me."

Ty was sure Fate—or whatever the being was—had heard the wraith, for his hand rose high into the air, palm facing the ceiling. An orb of pure energy gathered just above it, expanding then condensing in a steady rhythm. And when it could contain no more, it split into hundreds of individual beams of light.

But not to Nightshade. The beams soared and crisscrossed to the hulking behemoth behind the boy, filling it with energy and vitality once more. Wood and bark snapped as it pushed itself up to a towering three-story stand, and for the first time, Ty was pleased to see the giant Treant alert and awake.

It wasted no time spying its target, and pounding steps shook the sturdy bridge to its pillars.

Nightshade did not move as it stopped just ahead of him, raising a crushing claw and gazing down with wrathful eyes. The creature paused for a moment, as if allowing his last words. The wraith stood defiantly, his previous twinge of fear erased. Replaced by one last malevolent flashing of his eyes, and a hideous cackle that sent shivers down Ty's spine.

"You _are_ impressive, Exseed. I admit defeat. But remember this…" The wraith leveled his eye sockets with Fate's, and both gazed unyielding in the others. "I was here before Ravenwood began, and so shall I be here to witness its end. Do not think you've seen the last of me."

The wooden claw swiped down, crushing his frame with one powerful blow. The repulsive snapping of bones filled with air, shadows slipped from under his fingers like smoke, and his cackle flew away on the winds.

And after a full minute of waiting, Ty breathed deeply at the smashed skull, sure that its ghostly eyes would not relight.

Mostly sure.

Fate remained stoic, pulsating glow slowly fading back into his skin. White hair skipped any semblance of gray and switched straight into its normal jet black hue, and brilliant green irises uncovered. He stumbled as he returned, finding his legs weak, but before he fell forward, slender arms caught his body.

His head rested in the crook of her neck, golden hair falling over his face. "Everything is alright now, child." He wanted to disobey the request, to find his friends and make sure they were alright, but her embrace was too placating to escape.

The giant treant sunk its hand and retrieved the limp body of Ty, tucking him under one of his smaller arms. "What…Lady Oriel? What…what are you doing here?" The Diviner weakly said.

As he did, an orange sprite flew past his face, and u-turned to stop before it. "I felt that Aria was in trouble." Her eyes scoured his face for cuts and injuries.

"She is being taken care of as we speak." The Seraph offered. "I apologize. If only I had sensed this sooner…"

"It's alright." He replied. He was just glad they'd received backup at all. "You can forget about me. Tala and Victoria are in that tower. They might need a lot of help."

"I will do what I can." She said, gesturing for Nyx to follow his request. The sprite zoomed towards the tower. "I have sent a few of my fairies back to fetch Professor Wu. The barrier around the graduation ceremony has already dissipated. Everyone seems in good health."

Ty wanted to ask a thousand questions, but with adrenaline seceding found no strength to do so. Instead, he collapsed with a weary grin. As Oriel uttered her last words before he passed out.

"For now, rest. The long night is over."


End file.
